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■Sec. 


THE  SAMARITAN 
CHRONICLE 

OR 

THE  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA 

THE  SOX  OF  NUN 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  ARABIC,  WITH  NOTES 
BY 

OLIVER   TURNBULL    CRANE,  M.A 

MEMBER  OF  THE  AMERICAN  ORIENTAL  SOCIETY 


NEW  YORK 

JOHN  B.  ALDEN,  PUBLISHER 

1890 


Copyright,  1890, 

BY 

OLIVER  TURNBULL  CRANE. 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter.                                                                      Page. 
I.  Prologue 13 

II.  The  account  of  the  investiture  of  Yush'a  the  son 
of  Nun  with  the  Khalifate  of  the  Prophet — 
peace  be  upon  him 15 

III.  The  affair  of  Bila'am  with  the  king  of  Mab. ...     17 

IV.  The  account  of  the  stratagem  and  artifice  used 

by  Bila'am  against  the  children  of  Israil 24 

V.  The  history  of  Midyan 26 

VI.  The  account  of  what  our  master  Musa,  the  Pro- 
phet— peace  be  upon  him — expounded,  before 
his  death , 29 

VII.  The  account  of  what  Yush'a,  his  disciple,  said, 
after  the  disappearance  of  his  lord  and  mas- 
ter       31 

VIII.  The  account  of  what  was  done  after  the  return 

of  Yush'a  to  the  people 33 

IX.  The  beginning  of  the  book  of  Yush'a  the  son  of 
Nun,  the  disciple  of  the  master  Musa,  the  Pro- 
phet— peace  be  upon  him 34 

X.  The  account  of  Yiish'a's  assembling  the  children 
of  Israil,  and  his  renewing  the  covenant  with 
them 35 

XI.  The  accoimt  of  how  they  answered  him,  and  the 

covenant  that  they  entered  into  at  that  time . .     38 

XII.  The  account  of  what  Yush'a  the  son  of  Nun  did 
in  organizing  the  army,  and  the  members 
thereof. 38 

XIII.  The  account  of  the  spies  whom  Yush'a  the  king 

sent  forth - 41 

XIV.  The  accoimt  of  the  summoning  of  the  children 

of  Israil  to  undertake  the  journey 45 

XV.  The  account  of  the  passage  of  the  children  of 

Israil  through  the  Urdun  (Jordan) 46 


iv  CONTENTS. 

XVI.  An  account  of  the  hymn  of  praise  which  Yush'a 

the  king  offered  up 48 

XVII.  An  aecount  of  ancient  Yariha  (Jericho),  at  the 

time  of  its  conquest 50 

XVIII.  An  account  of  the   discovery   of  the  one  who 

took  the  devoted  thing 53 

XIX.  The  account  of  how  certain  peoples  of  the 
Kana'anites  practiced  a  stratagem,  and  obtain- 
ed protection  of  the  king 55 

XX.  An  account  of  the  Kana'anites,  whose  territories 

the  land  was 57 

XXI.  The  account  of  this  army,  and  its  triumph,  and 

the  destruction  of  its  enemies 59 

XXII.  An  account  of  the  apportionment  of  the  territo- 
ries belonging  to  the  children  of  Israil,  and 
their  boundaries 61 

XXIII.  The  account  of  what  Yush'a  did  imtil  the  sur- 

veyors returned  unto  him 63 

XXIV.  The  account  of  the  return  of  the  men  who  were 

eminent  in   making   surveys  and   estimating 
just  proportions  unto  Yush'a  the  son  of  Nun 

the  king 66 

XXV.  An  account  of  the  circumstances  of  the  children 

of  Israil,  after  the  distribution 68 

XXVI.  The  history  of  Shaubak  the  son  of  Haman,  the 

king  of  the  Persians 69 

XXVII.  Statement  of  a  copy  of  the  letter  which  the 
giants  sent  unto  Yush'a  the  son  of  Nun,  the 
king 71 

XXVIII.  The  history  of  the  messenger,  and  what  came  of 

him 73 

XXIX.  An  account  of  the  reply  sent  to  the  giants 75 

XXX.  The  account  of  what  happened  before  the  de- 
parture of  the  messenger  from  Yush'a  the 
king 81 

XXXI.  An  account  of  the  return  of  the  messenger,  and 
what  he  did  when  he  reached  them  (i.  e.,  the 

enemies) 83 

XXXII.  The  account  of  the  reading  of  the   letter,  and 

what  the  enemy  did  when  it  was  read 83 

XXXIII.  The  account  of  the   setting  out  of  Yush'a  the 

king  upon  his  expedition 86 

XXXIV.  The  account  of  what  happened  to  the  children 

of  Israil  in  this  place , 87 


CONTENTS.  V 

XXXV.  The  account  of  how  God  facilitated  the  escape 

of  the  children  of  Israi'l  from  the  magicians. . .     89 

XXXVI.  A  statement  of  a  copy  of  the  letter 89 

XXXVII.  An  account  of  Nabih,  and  what  he  did 90 

XXXVIII.  An  account  of  what  was  done  during  the  days  of 

Divine  favor 95 

XXXIX.  The  history  of  the  duration  of  the  days  of  Divine 

favor,  up  to  the  time  of  the  beginning  of  error.     98 

XL.  The  history  of  the  vicegerents  of  the  Lord,  and 
of  the  ministers  of  the  days  of  Divine  favor, 
during  the  preceding  period  that  has  been 
mentioned ]  00 

XLI.  The  history  of  the  beginning  of  error  after  the 

death  of  Shamsham,  the  king  of  that  time. .  . .   102 

XLII.  An  account  of  how  the  beginning  of  error  was 

stopped  among  the  people 104 

XLIII.  The  history  of  the  erring  man  who  was  envious 
of  the  descendant  of  Finahas — peace  be  upon 
him 10S 

XLIV.  The  account  of  the  cause  of  the  destruction  of 

this  erring  man,  and  of  his  sons  and  company.  110 

XLV.  The  history  of  Bokhtonassar  (Nebuchadnezzar), 
the  king  of  el-Mausil  (Mosul)  ;  which  is  found 
in  the  books  of  the  chronicles  of  his  deeds.  . .   Ill 

XLVI.  The  history  of  el-Iskandar  ( Alexander  the  Great)  116 

XL VII.  The  history  of  Adrinus  (Hadrian),  and  how  he 
destroyed  el-Quds  (Jerusalem),  and  what  hap- 
pened to  him  with  Afrim  (Ephraim)  and  Man- 
ashshih  (Manasseh) 120 

XLVIII.  The  history  of  'Aqbun  the  imam 126 

XLIX.  The  history  of  what  happened  unto  Natanal 
from  the  Romans,  after  the  death  of  his 
father 128 

L.  The  history  of  Baba  Rabba,    and  what  hap- 
pened to  him  with  the  Romans 130 


PREFACE. 


The  Samaritan  Book  of  Joshua  was  first 
brought  to  the  notice  of  European  scholars  by 
the  eminent  Orientalist,  Joseph  J.  Scaliger,  who 
obtained  a  manuscript  of  it  from  the  Samari- 
tans of  Cairo,  in  the  year  1584.  This  MS.  was 
deposited  by  him  in  the  library  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Leyden,  and  for  a  long  period  re- 
mained the  only  copy  of  the  work  in  Europe  ; 
in  fact,  it  is  only  within  the  last  half  of  the  pres- 
ent century  that  other  MSS.  have  been  obtain- 
ed ;  one  of  these  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the 
British  Museum,  and  another  is  said  to  be  in 
the  library  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge.  To 
the  celebrated  Swiss  theologian  and  scholar, 
Johann  Heinrich  Hottinger,  is  due  the  credit 
of  first  making  the  contents  of  this  work  fully 
known  to  scholars  ;  this  he  did  in  his  Exer- 
citationes  Anti-Morinianoe  de  Pentateucho  Sa- 
maritano,  published  in  1644,  wherein  he  gave 
a  condensed  Latin  translation,  or  rather  epitome, 
of  the  whole  chronicle  :  he  likewise  treated  of 
it  in  other  of  his  writings,  especially  in  his 
Smegma  Orient,  (1657),  which  contains  a  fair 
resume*  of  its  contents.  Hottinger's  works  re- 
mained the  principal  source  from  which  scholars 
drew  their  information  of  the  character  and  con- 
tents of  this  chronicle  of  the  Samaritans,  until 
in  the  year  1848,  T.  W.  J.  Juynboll  edited  the 
Arabic  text  of  the  Leyden  MS.  with  a  complete 


8  PREFACE. 

Latin  translation  to  which  were  added  elaborate 
dissertations  and  copious  critical  notes.  This 
translation  of  Juynboll's  at  once  superseded  all 
that  had  preceded  it,  and  has  ever  since  re- 
mained the  standard. 

The  translation  now  offered — the  first  that  has 
ever  been  attempted  in  English — is  made  directly 
from  the  Arabic  text  as  printed  by  Juynboll,  while 
the  MS.  in  the  British  Museum  has  been  examin- 
ed and  consulted  in  many  cases.  To  those  who 
may  take  the  trouble  to  compare  this  English 
translation  with  Juynboll's  Latin,  it  may  occa- 
sion surprise  to  find  that,  in  the  interpretation 
of  a  considerable  number  of  passages  they  ma- 
terially differ  ;  if  such  will,  however,  only  turn 
to  the  original  Arabic  and  consult  it,  the  writer 
confidently  believes  that  the  English  rendering 
will  be  found  to  more  exactly  represent  the  origi- 
nal than  the  Latin.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind, 
however,  that  the  Leyden  MS.  is  in  the  Samaritan 
characters,  though  written  in  the  Arabic  language, 
which  the  scribe  often  wrote  in  a  most  careless 
and  negligent  manner,  and  hence  the  MS.  is  in 
many  places  exceedingly  difficult  to  decipher. 
Juynboll  edited  it  in  Arabic  characters,  but,  on 
account  of  the  wretchedness  of  the  writing,  was 
often  driven  to  conjectural  readings  and  emenda- 
tions, yet  he  always  placed  in  the  margin  the 
exact,  or  supposed,  words  of  the  text,  thus 
affording  the  student  an  opportunity  to  form  an 
independent  judgment  as  to  the  justice  and 
accuracy  of  his  emendations,  and  upon  careful 
consideration  one  is  sometimes  forced  to  the 
conclusion  that  Juynboll  has  unintentionally 
erred,  both  in  his  reading  of  the  text  and  in  his 
conjectural  corrections,  and  that  the  discarded 
words  in  the  margin  are  in  some  cases  to  be 
preferred  to  his  attempted  improvements.  These 
facts  will  explain  some  of  the  variations  which 


PREFACE.  9 

distinguish  this  translation  from  the  Latin  one  of 
Juynboll. 

It  is  not  the  intention  of  the  writer  to  detract 
one  whit  from  the  great  praise  which  is  due  to 
Juynboll,  for  the  care  he  bestowed  upon  his  work 
and  for  his  truly  able  translation  and  the  schol- 
arly and  erudite  notes  that  he  added  to  it  ;  to 
all  of  which  the  writer  here  makes  acknowledg- 
ment of  his  great  indebtedness. 

Next  to  the  Jews  there  is  scarcely  any  people 
that  excite  the  interest  of  biblical  students  more 
warmly  than  the  Samaritans.  Their  origin,  their 
history,  their  literature  and  their  traditions  are 
questions  that  have  brought  to  their  investigation 
a  succession  of  able  scholars,  and  are  to  day  still 
subjects  of  intense  interest  and  research.  The 
present  translation  is  put  forth  with  the  hope  that 
it  may  not  be  unwelcome  to  the  many  who  are 
interested  in  these  subjects,  but  to  whom  this 
Chronicle  in  the  original  language  has  been  a 
sealed  book. 

Among  the  Samaritans  themselves  this  book  is 
not  held  to  be  of  Divine  inspiration — for  they 
believe  that  only  the  five  books  of  Moses  are  in- 
spired— nevertheless,  they  greatly  revere  it  and 
hold  it  in  the  highest  estimation,  and  believe  it  to 
contain  a  true  and  authentic  history  of  the  period 
of  which  it  treats.  As  to  when  it  was  composed 
and  who  was  its  author  we  have  no  positive 
knowledge.  From  the  inscription  which  the  Ley- 
den  MS.  bears  we  learn  that  the  first  part  of 
that  codex,  as  it  now  stands,  was  written  in 
A.  D.  1362-3,  and  the  latter  part  in  A.  D.  1513. 
Juynboli's  researches  led  him  to  the  conclusion 
that  it  was  redacted  into  its  present  form  about 
A.  D.  1300,  out  of  earlier  documents,  This  is 
probably  the  fact,  and  it  is  all  that  can  be  safely 
predicated  as  to  the  time  of  its  compilation. 

A  marked  feature  of  the   book  is  the   number 


10  PREFACE. 

of  legends  and  traditions  it  contains,  some  of 
which — so  far  as  we  are  aware — are  to  be  met 
with  nowhere  else.  Most  of  them,  however,  are 
intimately  connected  with  similar  legends  cur- 
rent in  the  East,  and  show  a  common  origin  with 
those  of  the  Jews,  and  frequently  with  those  of 
the  Mohammedans.  In  the  notes  an  effort  has 
been  made  to  notice  such  Jewish  or  Moslem 
legends  and  traditions  as  are  identical  or  show 
an  affinity  with  those  mentioned  in  the  text,  in 
order  that  the  reader  may  see  wherein  the  vari- 
ous versions  agree  or  differ.  Care  has  been  taken 
also  to  identify,  so  far  as  it  was  possible,  all  places 
or  localities  mentioned  in  the  Chronicle,  and  to 
give  their  ancient  Hebrew  names.  This,  it  is  be- 
lieved, will  not  be  without  value  to  all  such  as 
are  unfamiliar  with  the  modern  Arabic  names  of 
places  in  Palestine,  and  who  might  otherwise  be 
at  a  loss  to  know  what  were  the  places  that  are 
hidden  under  the  Arabic  names  in  the  Chronicle. 

To  all  who  are  interested  in  the  history,  geo- 
graphy and  legends  of  Palestine  this  Chronicle 
of  the  Samaritans  will  be  of  particular  interest ; 
and  while  it  is  not  to  be  denied  that  many  of  its 
statements  are  incredible,  still  the  fact  remains 
that  much  that  it  contains  is  of  true  value  and 
is  not  to  be  ignored,  but  may  be  used  discrimi- 
nately  to  good  advantage  by  scholars  to  shed 
light  upon  a  large  range  of  subjects,  our  knowl- 
edge of  which  is  and  always  has  been  extremely 
limited ;  in  support  of  this  we  might  refer  to  the 
recognition  it  has  received  at  the  hands  of  such 
writers  as  Bishop  Patrick,  Dean  Stanley,  Capt. 
Conder  and  others. 

In  conclusion,  the  translator  wishes  to  express 
his  obligation  to  his  father,  Rev.  Oliver  Crane, 
DD. ,  LL.D.  ,  for  his  kindly  interest  and  encour- 
agement throughout,  and  for  many  good  criti- 
cisms and  suggestions  in  revising  the  manuscript, 


PREFACE.  11 

and  also  to  his  friend  Antun  'Abdallah  Salih  of 
Beirut,  Syria,  for  valuable  assistance  in  interpre- 
ting certain  obscure  and  corrupt  passages  in  the 
original. 

O.  T.  0. 
Morristown,  N.  J.,  December,  1889. 


CHAPTER  I. 

IN  THE  NAME  OF  GOD,  THE  COMPASSIONATE.1 

This  is  the  book  narrating  the  chronicles  of 
the  children  of  Israil,  from  the  time  that  our 
master  Musa  (Moses),  the  prophet — peace  be 
upon  him — the  son  of  'Ainran,  invested  Yush'a 
(Joshua)  the  son  of  Nun  with  the  Khalifate2 
over  his  people.  All  of  this  is  translated  from  the 
Hebrew  language  into  the  Arabic  language,  after 
the  manner  of  a  rapid  translation  by  word  of 
mouth,  and  giving  only  the  statement  of  the  nar- 
rative, and  nothing  more  :  even  what  God — Pow- 
erful and  Glorious — showed  forth  of  signs  and 
miracles  and  wonders,  which  man  is  too  weak  to 
adequately  specify  and  describe  ;  such  as,  what 
happened  at  the  Urdun  (Jordan),  and  also  at  the 
time  when  the  giants  were  humbled,  and  with 
what  victory  and  power  and  might  and  authority 
God  came  to  his  (Joshua's)  assistance  ;  also  what 
they  (the  children  of  Israel)  witnessed  at  the 
time  of  their  entering  the  land,  besides  what  they 
witnessed  in  Wady  el-Mujib.3  and  on  mount  Sin  A. 
(Sinai)  and  its  vast  wilderness,  with  the  essential 
incidents  of  this  event  which  God  made  manifest, 
even  the  quaking  of  its  mountains,  together  with 
what  there  was  of  thunders  and  lightnings  con- 
nected with  this,  and  the  joining  of  fires  to  the 
very  heaven,  and  their  hearing  the  code  of  their 
laws   from  the  divine   and  eternal  voice,  from 

1  Note  1.  2  Note  2.  8  Note  3. 


14        THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

whom  shone  forth  flashes  of  light,  representing 
the  form  of  its  writer,  even  the  Creator.  After- 
wards what  happened  to  them  at  the  greater 
Sea,4  not  to  mention  what  their  adversaries  wit- 
nessed in  Greater  Misr  (Egypt  5),  and  what  cal- 
amities overtook  their  enemies,  such  as  Fir'aun 
(Pharaoh)and  his  army,  and  'Amlaq  (the  Ama- 
lekites)  and  its  host,  and  Sihun  (Sihon)  and  his 
kingdom,  and  'Uj  (Og)  the  father  of  'Anaq6  with 
his  haughtiness,  and  Bila'am  (Balaam)  with  his 
sorcery,  and  the  kings  of  Mab  (Moab)  with  their 
greatness.  Also  what  happened  unto  Qarun 
(Korah)  the  son  of  the  uncle  of  Harun  (Aaron)7 
and  to  the  company  who  were  with  him,  namely 
that  some  of  them  the  earth  opened  its  mouth 
and  swallowed,  and  they  went  down  alive 
to  the  deepest  depths,  while  as  to  others  of 
them  the  divine  fire  came  forth  and  consumed 
their  bodies.  And  also  what  happened  to  the 
people  while  they  were  in  the  wilderness  forty 
years,  suffering  want,  without  a  guide  and  with 
no  provisions  or  clothing,  and  barely  living  and 
existing ;  whom  the  cloud  overshadowed  by  day 
and  the  pillar  of  fire  protected  from  cold  by 
night,8  and  whose  food  was  the  manna  from 
heaven  ;  and  when  there  was  need  of  water,  our 
master  Musa — peace  be  upon  him — the  son  of 
?Amran,  brought  it  forth  for  them  from  the  rocks 
and  from  the  parched  ground  and  stone,  until 
they  themselves  had  drank,  and  all  that  were  in 
their  company  both  of  living  souls  and  animals. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  when  they  who 
are  possessed  of  intelligence,  but  are  yet  un- 
believing, shall  have  heard  of  what  God  did 
bountifully  bestow  upon  them  (the  children  of 
Israil),  and  with  what  happiness  He  did  surround 
them,  and  how  He  lifted  off  of  them  all  calami- 

*  Note  4.  6  Note  5.  6  Note  6. 

7  Note  7.  8  Note  8.  9  Note  9. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        15 

ties,  whether  heavenly  or  earthly,  and  also  what 
new  things  He  revealed  unto  them,  then  they 
will  know  that,  there  is  no  Lord  but  their  (the 
children  of  Israil's)  Lord  and  no  prophet,  but 
their  prophet,  and  no  book  but  their  Book,  and 
no  true  religion  but  their  religion ;  and  (they 
shall  also  understand)  the  excellency  of  the  per- 
fect creed,  and  the  certainty  of  its  validity,  and 
that  it  is  greatest  in  rendering  praise  to  the 
Creator — Mighty  and  Glorious — the  One  who 
is  omnipotent  to  do  whatsoever  He  pleaseth. 
And  when  one  shall  hear  of  the  decline  of  the 
kingdom  of  the  children  of  Israil,  and  what  cal- 
amities and  misfortunes  and  exiles  and  disper- 
sions overtook  them  by  reason  of  their  disobe- 
dient doings  and  their  rebellious  actions,  his 
fear  will  be  increased  for  Him  from  Whom  noth- 
ing escapes  and  of  Whose  kingdom  nothing  is 
destroyed — Blessed  be  He  and  exalted!  And 
now  of  Him  do  we  implore  complete  right- 
guidance  and  all-embracing  favor  in  His  mercy. 
Verily  He  is  a  hearer  and  answerer  (of  prayer). 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  INVESTURE  OF  YUSH'A 
THE  SUN  OF  NUN  WITH  THE  KHALIFATE  OF 
THE   PROPHET — PEACE   BE   UPON   HIM. 

At  the  completion  of  the  hundred  and  nine- 
teenth year,  on  the  first  day  of  the  eleventh 
month,  of  the  life  of  our  master  Musa 1  the 
Prophet — peace  be  upon  him — God  revealed  unto 
him  in  the  plain  of  Mab  (Moab),  that  he  should 
lay  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  Yush'a,  the  son  of 

1  Note  10. 


16         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

Nun,  the  spiritual  man2;  meaning  by  this,  that  he 
(Moses)  should  give  him  (Joshua)  information 
of  the  profound  secret,  and  reveal  to  him  the 
vision  of  his  dream  and  the  science  of  knowl- 
edge,3 as  much  as  he  was  capable  of  bearing  ;  by 
the  which  his  heart  would  be  strengthened  and 
his  spirit  perfected  and  his  soul  elevated,  and  the 
rule  over  the  creatures  (the  children  of  Israil) 
be  rendered  easy  unto  him  ;  and  that  he  should 
also  inform  him  of  the  Name,4  by  which  he  should 
put  to  flight  hostile  armies,  and  by  which  a  na- 
tion that  no  country  could  contain  and  whose 
numbers  were  countless  might  be  confounded. 
And  He  ordered  him  (Moses)  to  set  him  (Josh- 
ua) before  el-'Azar  (Eleazar)  the  imam — 5 
peace  be  upon  him — and  to  assemble  unto  him 
(Joshua)  the  people  of  learning  and  knowledge 
with  the  nobles  and  rulers,  and  ratify  a  compact 
with  him,  and  make  anew  a  covenant  with  him, 
and  invest  him  with  the  kingly  authority,  and  in- 
stall him  in  the  rule  over  all  the  children  of 
Israil.  Thereupon  the  Prophet  laid  on  el-'Azar 
the  imam — peace  be  upon  him — the  command, 
which  rested  on  him,  to  superintend  the  affair  with 
completeness  and  splendor,  and  not  to  enter  upon 
any  affair  or  turn  aside  under  any  circumstance, 
except  after  he  had  seen  to  this.  And  at  the 
completion  of  his  inauguration,  the  priests  sound- 
ed with  the  trumpets,  and  the  heralds  made  proc- 
lamation for  his  standard,  and  the  banners  and 
flags  were  unfurled  to  his  reign.  Our  master, 
the  prophet  Musa — peace  be  upon  him — had  seen 
that  he  (Joshua)  was  wont  to  go  forth  in  the 
front  line  of  battle  during  his  (Moses')  days,  in 
order  that  he  might  by  actual  trial  gain  expe- 
rience of  what  he  knew  and  had  observed.  And 
immediately  he  (Moses)   gave   command   that, 

2  Note  11.         8  Note  12.         4  Note  13.  5  Note  14. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        17 

there  should  be  selected  out  from  the  children  of 
Israil — meaning  by  this,  that  there  should  be 
chosen  from  among  them — twelve  thousand  men ; 
from  each  tribe  one  thousand  men  ;  and  there- 
upon he  would  with  these  make  an  attack  upon 
the  Midyanites,  to  take  satisfaction  for  Israil  out 
of  them  and  their  country.  Now,  before  men- 
tion is  made  of  the  cause  of  this  retaliation,  we 
would  remark,  that  the  children  of  Israil  had 
been  restrained  from  intermeddling  in  any  way 
with  the  affairs  of  the  'Ammanites  and  Mabites, 
and  were  under  orders  not  to  appropriate  to 
themselves  any  of  their  territory  6  ;  and  they  did 
do  only  what  necessity  compelled  them  to  do 
with  them.  Hereafter  we  will  explain  and  elu- 
cidate this,  by  the  will  of  God  and  His  assist- 
ance, and  the  goodness  of  His  guidance  and 
favor. 


CHAPTER  IE. 

THE   AFFAIR   OF    BILA'AM   WITH    THE    KING    OP 
MAB. 

When  the  children  of  Israil  went  down  into 
the  plain  of  Mab,  God  revealed  unto  our  master 
Musa,  the  Prophet — upon  him  be  the  most  ex- 
cellent peace — that  he  should  not  have  anything 
to  do  with  the  'Ammanites  and  Mabites,  nor 
should  he  wage  war  with  them;  "Because  I," 
said  God,  "will  not  appropriate  any  of  their 
lands  to  the  children  of  Israil." 1  And  he  (Moses) 
obeyed  this  and  did  accordingly.  Now  when  it 
reached  the  ears  of  the  kings  of  Mab  and  'Am- 
man and  Midyan  what  had  happened  unto  Sihun 

6  See  Deut.  ii :  9  and  19.        1  Deut.  ii.  9  and  19. 

2 


18         TEE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSEUA. 

and  'Ug,  of  destruction  and  ruin  and  the  taking 
captive  of  people  and  the  taking  of  cities,  for- 
sooth they  were  sore  distressed  and  feared  ex- 
ceedingly because  of  this;  and  they  sent  mes- 
sages unto  Bila'am,  the  son  of  B'aur2  (Beor),  by 
men  pre-eminent  in  sorcery  and  wisdom — for  all 
the  soldiers  knew  of  him  by  reason  of  his  invoca- 
tions. And  the  delegates  came  into  his  presence, 
and  said  unto  him :  "  The  five  kings  of  Mab  and 
'Amman  send  unto  thee  their  salutations,  and 
say  to  thee  :  O,  our  master  and  our  chief,  we 
know  that  circumstances  are  brought  about  by 
thee,  a  knowledge  of  which  the  people  of  learn- 
ing fall  short  of  attaining  unto,  and  that  whatso- 
ever thou  blessest,  is  blessed,  and  whomsoever 
thou  cursest,  is  cursed ;  and  that  thou  canst  put 
to  rout  all  armies  by  thy  invocations  and  words. 
Now,  perchance,  there  has  already  reached  thee 
what  has  happened  in  Misr  through  the  children 
of  Israil,  and  in  the  sea  and  in  the  wilderness, 
and  what  has  happened  unto  'Amlaq,  the  chief 
of  tribes,  by  reason  of  them,  and  what  they  did 
with  Sihun  and  'Ug,  and  what  they  have  resolved 
upon  in  reference  to  their  permanent  dwelling- 
places.  And  now  their  army  has  descended 
upon  our  border,  and  they  are  working  for  our 
destruction,  and  already  they  cover  the  face  of 
the  land;  and  we  have  come  unto  thee  and  hope 
to  obtain  relief  of  thee  and  security  from  them, 
through  thy  own  free  blessing  and  propitious 
aid,  and  also  through  what  we  have  decided  upon 
of  happiness  for  thee,  and  the  rendering  of  thy 
will  absolute.  Perchance  now,  our  condition 
will  be  improved  through  thy  agency,  and  thou 
wilt  curse  this  people,  and  wilt  prevail  over  them 
and  effect  a  change  in  present  circumstances 
through  thy  renown  which  is  spread  abroad,  and 

2  Note  15. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSIIUA.         19 

the  dignity  of  thy  authority  in  consequence  of  thy 
circumstances,  riches  and  servants ;  and  there 
will  be  glory  to  us  and  to  thee  among  all  kings, 
in  addition  to  what  reward  will  be  added  unto 
this,  in  consideration  for  thy  grand  beneficence 
toward  a  people  whom  no  country  can  contain, 
and  whose  numbers  are  countless  and  beyond 
reckoning;  for  thou  wilt  have  prevented  a  mul- 
titude from  being  murdered  by  fire.  For  the 
character  and  manner  of  this  army  is,  that  it  is 
not  restrained  by  a  feeling  of  shame  from  an  old 
man,  nor  does  it  accord  protection  to  a  woman, 
or  have  pity  on  a  child,  or  show  compassion  to- 
ward an  animal;  for  they  do  nothing  else  but 
murder  with  the  sword,  and  stone  to  death  with 
stones,  and  crucify,  and  burn  with  fire  :  yea,  this 
is  its  custom,  and  it  does  not  allow  any  mercy  to 
be  shown,  or  protection  to  be  granted,  unto  any, 
and  it  spares  not  even  a  leafless  palm  branch  in 
its  annihilating  and  destroying.  By  God,  O  our 
master,  hasten  unto  us,  bringing  with  tbee  what- 
ever is  necessary,  and  be  not  wanting  unto  us  in 
this  matter  which  involves  the  preservation  of 
life;  and  we  will  reward  a  good  deed  with  its 
like,  and  an  evil  deed  with  its  like.  And  now, 
peace." 

And  when  Bila'am  heard  this  message,  he 
made  reply  to  the  company  of  wise  and  trained 
men,  and  said  unto  them  :  "I  will  treat  with 
due  respect  your  rights,  and  the  rights  of  those 
who  urge  you  on  in  this  message ;  but  my  action 
is  controlled  by  the  One  whom  I  serve,  if  He 
gives  me  permission  to  go  with  you,  I  would  ac- 
complish your  desire  and  the  desire  of  those  who 
urge  you  on  in  the  message,  and  I  would  accom- 
plish their  (the  children  of  Israil's)  destruction, 
and  in  the  end  complete  their  annihilation,  and 
would  leave  unto  you  a  memor}r,  for  which  you 
would  praise  me  to  the  end  of  the  ages.     And 


20         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

now  decide  to  lodge  with  me  this  night,  and  1 
will  hear  what  shall  be  addressed  unto  me,  and 
we  will  wholly  act  in  accordance  therewith, 
whether  it  be  of  good  or  evil."  And  the  people 
consented,  and  lodged  with  him.  And  he  began 
to  offer  worship  to  the  One  whom  he  was  accus- 
tomed to  serve,  and  it  was  said  unto  him  :  "  Do 
not  thou  go  with  the  people,  nor  curse  Israil, 
for  they  are  blessed."  And  he  came  to  them 
with  these  words ;  thereupon  they  returned  to 
the  kings,  and  informed  them  of  what  had  hap- 
pened ;  but  this  only  increased  the  more  their 
desire  after  him,  and  this  was  high  honor  to  him. 
And  now  there  rode  unto  Bila'am  more  illus- 
trious delegates  than  those  who  had  gone  before, 
and  greater  by  far  than  they;  yet  they  made 
less  promises  to  him,  and  said  in  the  second 
message  :  "  Now  see  to  it  that  thou  comest 
unto  us ;  for  we  are  able  to  honor  thee,  and  to 
give  bountifully  unto  thee."  Thereupon  the 
people  came  unto  him  with  this  message;  and 
Bila'am  answered  the  messengers  and  said :  "  It 
is  necessary  that  ye  understand  that,  if  the 
kings  should  give  unto  me  their  houses  full 
of  silver  or  gold,  I  cannot  transgress  what  my 
Lord  commands;  but  now  abide  this  night  with 
me,  and  I  will  hear  What  communication  shall 
be  addressed  to  me,  and  I  will  act  in  accordance 
with  it,  whether  it  be  favorable  or  unfavorable." 
So  the  people  lodged  with  him  ;  and  the  man 
started  in  on  the  beginning  of  his  performance 
and  service  and  worship.  And  when  God  per- 
ceived his  inclination,  and  what  his  secret 
thoughts  were  bent  upon,  and  how  he  was  exalted 
in  self-glorification.  God  then  desired  to  make  a 
manifestation  of  His  mysteries  :  now  behold 
He  could  not  do  this  Himself,  nor  could  He  do 
it  through  one  who  worshipped  Him  after  the 
manner  of  anyone  of  the  children  of  Israil,  nor 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSIIUA.        21 

could  He  do  it  by  writing,  or  by  the  agency  01 
any  of  His  angels,  but  forsooth  only  by  sending 
unto  him  His  very  Command.3  And  the  com- 
panion of  Bila'am  4  upon  beholding  the  spectre  of 
the  Command  of  God,  fled  away  from  it,  and  he 
became  the  visible  form  of  the  agent  of  the 
Creator  who  addressed  Bila'am;  for  this  was  the 
device  employed  to  communicate  with  him. 
And  the  Command  of  God  said  to  him  :  "Did 
not  I  say  unto  thee,  O  Bila'am,  when  the  people 
came  unto  thee; 'go  with  them'?";  making 
inquiry  to  see  what  craving  Bila'am  had  for  the 
journey.  But  he  answered  him  not  a  syllable, 
though  his  usual  custom  was  to  say  :  "  Not  so  ; 
for  without  my  God  I  give  ear  to  nothing."  And 
he  did  not  fully  believe  that  he  had  heard  the 
correct  interpretation  of  the  speech,  until  He 
commanded  him  to  mount  and  ride,  and  then  he 
made  haste  to  saddle  his  ass,  and  went  along 
with  the  wise  men  of  Mab.  And  the  anger  of 
the  Creator  was  aroused,  because  of  his  starting 
out  on  the  journey  before  he  had  sought  instruc- 
tion (of  God),  and  He  placed  Himself  in  the  way 
to  make  an  attack  upon  him.  Now  he  (Balaam) 
was  riding  upon  his  she- ass,  and  boasting  of  her 
before  the  people  of  learning,  that  he  had  no 
need  of  a  guide  when  with  her,  and  that  he  had 
no  necessity  ever  to  beat  her.  But  when  she 
espied  the  Agency  of  the  Creator — Mighty  and 
Glorious — standing  in  the  way,  with  His  drawn 
sword  in  His  hand,  she  swerved  aside  out  of  the 
way  through  fear  of  Him  ;  and  this  was  the  first 
of  the  putting  to  shame  of  Bila'am  and  of  his 
remorse  ;  and  he  beat  her  with  his  staff.  And 
the  Agency  of  the  Creator  removed  to  a  place 
between  walls  in  a  field,5  and  stood  still ;  and 
when  the  ass  beheld  Him,  she  shied  into  one  of 

8  Note  16.  *  Note  17.  6  Note  18. 


22        THE  SAMA1UTAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

the  walls  and  injured  Bila'am's  foot,  and  he  beat 
her  more  violently.  And  when  the  learned  and 
wise  men  beheld  this,  they  said  unto  him  :  "  O 
our  master,  it  cannot  be  that  there  is  a  cause  for 
her  opposition  to  the  execution  of  this  mandate 
of  the  Divine  Word  ?  "  And  he  answered  and 
said  unto  them  :  "  It  was  desired  that  this  man- 
date should  be  carried  out,"  And  the  Agency 
of  God  again  passed  on,  until  He  stopped  in  a 
narrow  place  where  there  was  no  way  of  turning 
out  either  to  the  right  or  to  the  left  ;  and  when 
the  ass  beheld  Him,  she  lay  down  under  him 
(Balaam),  and  he  again  beat  her  violently.  And 
God  put  speech  on  the  tongue  of  the  animal,  6 
and  thereupon  she  said  to  Bila'am  :  "What  have 
I  done  unto  thee  that  thou  shouldst  beat  me 
these  three  times  ?  Am  not  I  thine  ass  upon 
whom  thou  hast  ridden  since  thou  wast  created 
up  till  now  ?  Have  I  ever  acted  badly  toward 
thee  like  as  this  time  ?  "  And  he  said  :  "  No." 
Then  God  opened  the  eyes  of  Bila'anuso  that  he 
saw  the  Agency  of  God,  even  an  angel  standing 
in  the  way  with  His  drawn  sword  in  His  hand,  and 
he  threw  himself  down  before  Him ;  and  He  said 
unto  him  :  "  Why  hast  thou  beaten  thine  ass 
three  times  ?  If  thou  hadst  got  right  in  front  of 
me,  I  would  have  killed  thee  and  saved  her  alive  ; 
for  I  have  seen  the  wickedness  of  thy  inclina- 
tion. Now  however,  go  along  with  the  people, 
but  keep  carefully  to  what  I  shall  say  unto  thee, 
and  do  not  overstep  it."  Thereupon  Bila'am 
journeyed  on  ;  and  when  the  kings  heard  of  his 
journeying,  they  came  out  to  meet  him,  and  they 
found  him  perplexed  in  his  affair,  and  he  in- 
formed them  as  to  what  had  happened,  and  that 
in  accordance  with  it  he  could  not  do  anything 
except  by  the  command  of  God — Mighty  and 

« Note  19. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        23 

Glorious.  And  the  people  took  him  to  the  cliff 
which  is  described  in  the  holy  Pentateuch,7 
that  he  might  behold  all  the  children  of  Israil. 
Now  after  the  man  had  been  thus  met  and 
honored  and  made  much  of,  his  zeal  was  in- 
creased to  obtain  to  the  uttermost  degree  the 
love  of  the  people.  Thereupon  he  built  on  the 
cliff  that  has  been  described  seven  altars,  and 
offered  up  on  every  altar  a  calf  and  a  ram,  and 
began  worshipping  that  lie  might  hear  what  would 
be  addressed  unto  him.  And  he  heard  what  did 
not  please  him,  and  he  announced  what  he  had 
heard  to  the  company  of  the  kings  ;  and  they 
said  to  him  :  "  Remove  unto  another  place,  and 
perhaps  there  the  cursing  of  this  people  will 
be  easier."  And  he  obeyed  them,  and  he  did 
like  as  he  had  done  the  first  time,  and  he  heard 
greater  things  than  the  first  communication  ;  and 
he  began  to  go  to  the  extreme  in  glorifying  the 
children  of  Israil  and  honoring  them.  And  the 
king  of  Mab  said  to  him  :  "  If  thou  dost  not 
curse  them,  do  not  bless  them."  Then  he  be- 
sought them  that  he  might  remove  unto  another 
place,  and  he  went  and  did  as  he  had  done  the 
second  time.  And  his  eyes  fell  upon  the  desert 
and  he  saw  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israil, 
and  divine  spirits  were  guarding  them,  that  is, 
the  angels  were  protecting  them  from  every  soul ; 
and  he  turned  away  the  evil  eye  from  them,8  and 
hastened  to  glorify  and  bless  them,  until  he 
said  concerning  them  :  "  O  Israil,  cursed  be 
he  who  curseth  thee,  and  blessed  be  he  who 
blesseth  thee."  And  the  anger  of  the  king  was 
aroused  against  him ;  but  Bila'am  said  unto  him  : 
"  Let  not  thine  anger  be  aroused  against  me  ; 
did  I  not  say  unto  thee  that  I  could  not  act 
contrary  to  what  I  am  commanded  ?     But  now 

7  Num.  xxii.  41.  8  Note  20. 


24        THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

assemble  the  kings  with  thee,  that  I  may  inform 
your  company  of  what  will  happen  unto  you  and 
others  besides  you  of  the  people,  and  I  will  give 
you  information  about  a  device,  which,  if  carried 
out,  will  occasion  their  annihilation.  Thereupon 
the  kings  assembled,  and  he  made  known  unto 
them  marvellous  news,  the  explanation  of  which 
would  be  long  ;  and  he  said  to  them  :  "  Round 
about  these  people  the  holy  angels  keep  guard, 
and  the  King  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth  is 
witli  them,  and  it  is  not  allowable  to  make  use 
of  sorcery  against  them,  nor  the  science  of  astrol- 
ogy ;  9  nor  will  His  heart  repudiate  them,  except 
when  they  give  themselves  over  to  unbelief,  or  are 
led  to  do  so  by  some  stratagem,  then  the  Creator 
will  become  angry  with  them  and  they  will 
perish,  and  not  a  single  one  of  them  will  sur- 
vive." 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  STRATAGEM  AND  ARTIFICE 
USED  BY  BILA'AM  AGAINST  THE  CHILDREN  OF 
ISRAIL. 

When  the  kings  heard  him  relate  what  has 
preceded,  they  said  to  him :  "  How  is  the  way 
to  accomplish  what  thou  hast  mentioned  con- 
cerning their  destruction  ?  "  And  he  looked  up 
the  last  resource  of  infidelity  and  pollution,  and 
made  it  known  unto  them,  and  said  to  them : 
"  Select  of  the  most  beautiful  and  fair  women  as 
many  as  ye  can,  and  the  king  shall  be  the  first 
to  send  forth  his  daughter  with  them  ;  there- 
upon give  unto  each  one  of  them  an  idol  which 
she  may  worship,  and  an  ornament  which  she 
may  look  at,  and  perfume  which  she  may  inhale, 

9  See  Num.  xxiii.   21  and  23. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        25 

and  food  and  drink  ;  and  the  daughter  of  the 
king  should  be  in  a  chariot  which  is  wafted  along 
with  the  wind,  and  it  should  be  enjoined  upon 
her  that  she  should  make  it  her  aim  to  go  to  the 
tabernacle,  and  pay  her  respects  to  no  one  ex- 
cept to  their  chief  unto  whom  the  crowd  show 
deference,  for  he  is  their  chief.  And  if  in  this 
she  meets  his  approval,  then  she  shall  say  unto 
him :  "  Wilt  thou  not  receive  me,  or  eat  of  my 
food  and  drink  of  my  drink  and  offer  service 
unto  my  god  ?  for  after  this  I  will  be  thine,  and 
with  thee  will  do  whatsoever  thou  desirest." 
For  know,  O  king,  that  by  the  chief  of  this 
people  being  polluted,  both  he  and  his  company 
will  perish,  and  of  them  there  will  not  remain  a 
survivor."  And  the  kings  did  what  he  recom- 
mended unto  them  1;  and  there  were  collected  to 
them  twenty-four  thousand  girls,  and  they  sent 
them  away  on  the  Sabbath  day.  And  as  they 
descended  opposite  the  tabernacle,  the  chief  of 
the  tribe  of  Shim'aun  (Simeon)  2  rose  up ;  for 
he  was  the  chief  of  fifty -nine  thousand  men,  and 
was  in  the  advance.  And  the  daughter  of  the 
king  3  advanced  unto  him,  for  she  on  beholding 
the  great  deference  shown  to  him  by  his  com- 
panions supposed  him  to  be  the  prophet  Musa — 
peace  be  upon  him,  and  he  ate  of  her  food  and 
drank  of  her  drink  and  worshipped  the  idol  which 
was  in  her  hand,  and  after  this  she  was  submis- 
sive to  him  in  his  desire.  Thereupon  every  one 
of  them — I  mean  this  particular  tribe — took  one 
girl  for  himself ;  and  the  Creator  became  angry 
at  the  people,  and  destroyed  of  them  in  the  wink 
of  an  eye  four  thousand  men  4  together  with  four 
thousand  girls.  And  had  not  Finahas  (Phine- 
has)  the  irciani  5 — peace  be  upon  him — rushed 
from  the  presence  of  Musa  the  Prophet — peace 

1  Note  21.     2  Note  22.    8  Note  23.     4  Note  24.    5  Note  25. 


26        THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

be  upon  him — while  he  and  his  assembly  were 
weeping  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle,  and  seized 
in  his  hand  a  lance  and  bursting  in  upon  them 
thrust  through  the  man  and  girl — I  mean  the 
daughter  of  the  king — and  dispatched  them, 
assuredly  would  the  wrath  of  the  Creator  have 
destroyed  the  whole  people  ;  but  by  this  action 
he  removed  and  warded  off  the  Divine  anger 
from  the  children  of  Israil.  And  to  Finahas — 
peace  be  upon  him — there  resulted  from  this 
noble  fame  and  an  excellent  remembrance,  and  a 
covenant  to  the  end  of  the  ages.  And  praise  be 
to  God  the  Creator  without  cessation  ! 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  HISTOEY  OF  MTDYAN. 

When  the  stratagem  of  Bila'&m  against  the 
children  of  Israil  was  accomplished  and  there 
had  perished  of  them  this  great  number,  and  they 
had  been  overtaken  by  this  calamity,  God  re- 
vealed to  the  prophet  Musa — peace  be  upon  him 
— that  he  should  take  vengeance  for  the  children 
of  Israil  upon  the  people  of  Midyan,  before  that 
he  should  return  to  his  elements  (meaning  by 
this,  before  his  decease).  So  he  commanded 
Yush'a  the  son  of  Nun,1  at  the  time  of  his  in- 
vesting him  with  his  successorship,  that  he  should 
go  forth  with  the  company  which  he  specially 
mentioned,  and  with  him  Finahas,  the  im&m,  for 
he  had  gained  the  victory  and  a  name,  and  he  it 
was  who  had  averted  the  Divine  anger,  and  not 
anyone  else,  for  he  had  hastened  to  obey  his 
Lord.  Now  Bila'am  had  returned  unto  the  king 
of  Mab  to  congratulate  him  over  the  calamity  of 

1  Note  26. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        27 

the  children  of  Israil,  and  he  found  the  kings 
collected  together  and  indulging  in  joy  and  mer- 
riment, and  before  they  were  aware,  12,000  men 
had  surrounded  their  city,  whereupon  they  made 
haste  in  sending  out  the  harlots  with  ornaments 
and  censers  and  perfumes,  taking  for  granted 
that  what  they  had  made  a  successful  beginning 
in  would  be  carried  out  to  perfect  completion. 
But  they  (»•  e.,  the  Israelites)  slaughtered  these 
(the  women)  with  the  sword.  Then  Finahas — 
peace  be  upon  him — with  his  cousin,  went  in 
advance  and  sounded  with  the  trumpets,  and  the 
walls  of  the  fortress  fell  down  in  ruins,  and  the 
army  entered  into  Midyan,  and  they  killed 
simultaneously  the  five  kings  and  every  man 
whom  they  found  in  it.  And  they  began  to 
make  inquiries  about  Bila'am,  and  they  found 
him  in  a  house  of  worship,  and,  lo,  he  was  engaged 
in  worship  and  was  performing  service.  And 
they  brought  him  out,  and  he  was  talking  in 
speech  that  was  unintelligible  and  could  not  be 
understood,  because  of  the  greatness  of  his  con- 
fusion and  bewilderment  and  the  aberration  of 
his  mental  faculties.  And  Yusha,  the  son  of 
Nun,  exerted  himself  to  preserve  him  alive,  that 
our  master  Musa — the  peace  of  God  be  upon 
him — might  behold  him ;  but  they  of  the  tribe 
of  Shima'un  who  beheld  him  were  not  obedient, 
nay,  even,  they  cried  out  the  Law  against  him, 
and  put  him  to  death.2  And  Yusha  said  : 
"  Who  killed  him  ?  Why  have  ye  done  this, 
seeing  we  had  taken  him  under  our  protection  ? 
And  they  said  unto  liim  :  "  O  our  master,  there 
should  be  no  protection  granted  to  an  infidel, 
nor  security  to  a  sorcerer ;  had  we  not  killed 
him,  he  might  have  effected  the  accomplishment 
of   a  stratagem   against  thee   and   against   thy 

2  Note  27. 


28         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

people.  And  we  have  dared  to  go  contrary  to 
thee  in  killing  him,  because  of  what  was  in  our 
hearts  concerning  his  deed,  and  if  there  be  sin  in 
our  action  in  violating  the  protection  accorded 
to  him,  lo,  we  assume  it ;  but  to  our  master  belongs 
such  exalted  sentiments  that  he  will  look  with 
liberality  upon  our  excuse."  And  he  approved 
of  what  they  said  and  justified  their  action. 
And  the  people  plundered  Midyan,  and  drove 
away  its  cattle  and  took  captive  its  women  and 
children ;  and  not  a  thing  remained  in  it  but 
they  took  it.  And  they  returned  laden  with 
booty,  victorious  and  safe ;  not  a  single  man  of 
them  was  missing.  And  our  master  Musa,  the 
prophet — peace  be  upon  him — with  el-'Azar 
(Eleazar),  the  imam,  the  son  of  Harun  (Aaron), 
and  a  crowd  of  the  chiefs  went  out  to  meet  them. 
And  when  they  beheld  what  there  was  among 
their  number  of  captive  women,  our  master 
Musa,  the  Prophet — upon  him  be  the  most  excel- 
lent peace — became  angry  at  them,  and  said  to 
them  :  "  This  crowd  has  been  the  cause  of  your 
destruction."  Thereupon  he  commanded  them 
to  kill  every  woman  who  had  known  a  man,  and 
every  boy  child,  and  that  none  should  remain 
except  female  children  who  had  not  known  a 
man  ;  and  that  they,  together  with  the  company 
that  was  with  them,  should  separate  themselves 
seven  days  for  the  purpose  of  purification.  And 
they  did  so.  And  the  number  of  the  female 
captives  who  remained  over  after  those  who 
were  killed,  was  thirty-two  thousand  girls ;  and 
of  sheep  there  was  675,000  head,  and  of  cattle 
there  was  72,000  head ;  and  of  horses  and  mules 
and  camels,  61,000  head ;  and  of  gold  and  silver 
and  vessels  and  general  goods,  such  a  quantity 
as  is  impossible  to  define  and  describe.  But, 
more  wonderful  than  this,  was  the  unharmed 
condition  of  the  12,000  men  who  had  entered  a 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        29 

province  such  as  this  was,  without  the  loss  of  a 
single  man  of  them,  or  even  oue  of  them  being 
overtaken  by  the  blow  of  a  sword  or  hit  with  a 
stone.  Blessed  be  God,  the  One  who  is  able  to 
do  whatsoever  He  pleaseth,  and  of  Him  do  I  ask 
assistance,  and  upon  Him  do  I  put  my  trust,  and 
unto  Him  do  I  return  penitently. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  WHAT  OUR  MASTER  MUSA, 
THE  PROPHET — PEACE  BE  UPON  HIM — EX- 
POUNDED, BEFORE  HIS  DEATH. 

When  God  informed  our  master  Musa,  the 
Prophet,  of  the  time  when  he  could  no  longer 
remain  alive,  He  commanded  him  to  go  up  unto 
the  mountain  known  as  Nabah  (Nebo).  And  he 
(Moses)  proceeded  to  give  instructions  to  Yusha, 
the  son  of  Nun,  and  to  the  children  of  his  brother, 
and  to  the  assembly  of  the  leaders,  with  regard 
to  all  necessary  matters.  And  they  remained 
with  him  some  time,  along  with  all  the  officers 
of  the  army  and  the  people  of  wisdom  ;  and  he 
put  them  under  a  covenant  that  they  would  go 
with  the  children  of  Israil  in  the  way  which  he 
had  commanded  unto  them,  and  not  swerve  from 
it  either  to  the  right  or  to  the  left  ;  and  he 
ordered  the  priests  to  sound  upon  the  trumpets, 
and  to  send  forth  heralds  who  should  proclaim 
throughout  the  congregation  of  the  children  of 
Israil  :  "  Whoever  desires  to  see  our  master 
Musa  the  Prophet — the  most  excellent,  peace  be 
upon  him — let  him  come,  that  he  may  hear  his 
blessing  and  whatever  he  shall  reveal,  and  look 
upon  him  and  bid  him  farewell,  before  he  goes 
to  the  place  which  God  has  chosen  for  him." 
Thereafter  he    entered  into  the  tabernacle  and 


30         THE  SAMABITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

offered  on  the  brazen  altar  the  sacrifices,  and 
lifted  up  the  veil,  even  the  veil  of  the  holy  house, 
and  cast  incense  upon  the  golden  altar,  and 
worshipped  his  Lord  ;  and  then  he  bid  farewell  to 
the  temple  and  what  there  was  in  it  of  omnipo- 
tence and  divine  majesty,  and  went  out.  And  all 
the  children  of  Israil  according  to  their  ranks 
were  gathered  together  unto  him,  and  he  sat 
down  upon  an  exalted  seat,  as  was  his  custom, 
whereon  he  was  elevated  above  the  people,  and 
the  light  of  his  countenance  shone  as  the  rays 
of  the  sun.  And  he  began  to  deliver  an  address 
unto  the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israil, 
in  which  he  gathered  together  just  as  many  as 
a  servant  of  God  could,  of  passages  of  praise  to 
God,  whose  names  are  holy  :  and  in  it  he  ex- 
pounded intelligence  of  the  days  of  Divine  favor 
which  were  to  come,  and  the  cause  of  Wrath  and 
Error.  And  he  informed  the  children  of  Israil 
concerning  the  deluge  of  fire,  and  the  day  of 
vengeance  and  reward, a  and  defined  the  time  of 
his  return  unto  them.2  Then  he  announced  unto 
them  what  should  happen  unto  every  tribe,  and 
that  he  would  marshal  them  complete  in  the 
days  of  final  perfection  and  completion.  And 
he  blessed  them  altogether,  and  they  listened 
unto  him.  And,  when  the  time  came  to  bid 
farewell  to  each  individual  army,  the}T  began  to 
cry  aloud  and  wail  and  weep  ;  and  after  a  space 
of  time  he  commanded  them  to  be  quiet  and  to 
sit  down.  Then  he  departed,  walking  slowly  up 
the  ascent  of  the  mountain  unto  which  God  had 
ordered  him  to  ascend,  and  with  him  were  Yusha 
the  son  of  Nun,  and  el'Azar  the  im&m,  and  the 
assembly  of  the  leaders  who  were  bidding  him 
farewell  and  weeping  at  the  approach  of  his 
separation  from  them  and  clinging  to  him.   And 

1  Note  28.  2  Note  29. 


TUB  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        31 

when  the  farewells  were  prolonged  with  them, 
and  the  night  drew  near,  a  pillar  of  divine  fire 
descended3  and  separated  between  them  and 
their  master — peace  be  upon  him — and  no  one 
knows  what  happened  to  him  after  this,  even 
unto  this  time.  His  allotted  period  of  life  had 
reached  its  limit,  and  the  term  of  his  existence 
among  men — peace  be  unto  him — and  now  his 
dealings  were  directly  with  his  Lord  and  His 
angels.  And  of  God  do  we  beg  that  He  would 
unite  us  to  him  through  His  mercy.  Behold  He 
is  over  all  things  powerful,  and  He  is  my  suffi- 
ciency and  illustrious  Protector. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  WHAT  YTJSH'A,  HIS  DISCIPLE, 
SAID,  AFTER  THE  DISAPPEARANCE  OF  HIS 
LORD   AND   MASTER. 

When  the  master  Musa,  the  Prophet  — 
peace  be  upon  him — disappeared  from  him  and 
from  the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel,  and 
the  command  separated  him  from  them,  which 
event  he  was  unable  to  avert  from  himself,  and 
there  passed  away  from  them  the  sight  of  him, 
and  when  all  had  completely  despaired  of  his  re- 
turn, Yush'a,  the  son  of  Nun,  wept  for  him  and 
proclaimed  with  his  loudest  voice,  saying:  "O 
Master  !  the  death  of  every  one  of  the  children 
of  Adam,  from  first  to  last,  was  witnessed,  and 
his  grave  seen  ;  but  thou  !  who  has  seen  thy 
grave  ?  What  prophet  of  the  prophet  can  attain 
unto  thy  glory,  or  prolong  his  memory  unto  the 
extent  thy  memory  is  prolonged  ?  Where  is 
one  who  has  brought  to  life  the  dead  and  caused 

8  Note  30. 


32         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

the  living  to  die,  through  the  permission  of  his 
Lord,  besides  thee  ? 1  Unto  what  prophet  do  the 
infidels  bear  testimony  as  to  his  prophetic  office, 
except  thee  ?  What  prophet,  in  the  ages  past  or 
yet  to  come,  did  cause  his  congregation  to  hear 
the  voice  of  the  Creator  from  the  regions  of  the 
heavens,  except  thee  ?  Where  is  one  who  shall 
arise,  and  his  words  ascend  on  high,  and  ward  off 
the  Divine  anger,  and  bring  down  Divine  mercy, 
except  thee  ?  What  prophet  fasted  before  his 
Lord,  until  he  fasted  one  hundred  and  twenty 
days  including  the  nights, 2  except  thee  ?  What 
prophet  boasted  of  his  being  the  one  who  held 
converse  with  God  without  anything  interven- 
ing between  them,  except  thee  ?  Where  is  one, 
who  has  trodden  the  fire,  and  cleft  the  darkness, 
and  rent  the  clouds,  and  reached  unto  the  cur- 
tain of  omnipotence,  besides  thee  ?  What  book 
ascribed  to  any  prophet  has  in  it  the  teaching  of 
the  worship  of  the  Creator,  and  of  how  access 
may  be  had  to  Him,  except  thy  book  ?  O  one 
who  killed  the  Nil  (Nile)  with  his  rod  ! 3  O  one 
who  did  reveal  new  things !  O  one  who  showed 
forth  wonders  !  O  one  who  manifested  signs  ! 
O  one  who  lighted  up  the  darkness  !  O  one 
who  cleft  the  sea  with  his  rod  !  O  one-who  put 
to  rout  armies  with  his  hand  !  O  one  who 
warded  off  the  Divine  anger  by  his  petitions  ! 
O  one  who  brought  down  Divine  mercy  by  his 
intercessions  !  O  one  whose  very  sustenance 
was  the  worship  of  his  Lord  !  O  one  who  went 
out  from  the  boundaries  of  humanity  and  human 
power  into  the  Divine  power  !  O  one  who  un- 
derstood the  past  and  knew  what  was  to  come  ! 
O  one  who  ruled  his  enemies  by  his  invocation  ! 
O  my  master  and  my  lord  !  How  can  I  exist 
and  how  can  thy  people  exist,  now  that  thou  art 

1  Note  31.    2  Note  32.    8  Note  33. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        33 

gone  ?  "  After  this  his  weeping  increased  as 
did  also  the  weeping  of  the  congregation  that 
was  with  him,  and  when  the  grief  and  wailing 
had  been  long  indulged  in,  with  submission  and 
humility,  it  was  announced  to  Yush'a,  the  son  of 
Nun,  saying  :  Return  thou  and  those  that  are 
with  thee  of  the  army,  and  do  not  oppose  the 
command  of  God  " — May  His  name  be  glorious. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  WHAT  WAS  DONE  AFTER  THE 
RETURN  OF  YUSH'A,  TO  THE  PEOPLE. 

When  Yush'a,  and  the  priests  returned  after 
bidding  farewell  to  the  prophet — peace  be  upon 
him, — the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israil 
met  them,  and  they  commenced  weeping  for 
their  master,  yea,  every  company  "by  company, 
and  they  continued  weeping  for  him  thirty  days 
and  nights.  And  the  nations  heard  their  clamor 
and  wailing  and  crying,  and  they  assembled  to- 
gether in  confederation  on  the  borders  and  re- 
joiced exceedingly  when  they  were  informed  of  the 
death  of  the  prophet — peace  be  upon  him, — and 
they  resolved  to  encounter  the  children  of  Israil. 
But  when  God — Powerful  and  Mighty — per- 
ceived the  conspiracy  of  the  Canaanites,  of  those 
who  were  assembled  unto  them,  He  made  a  mani- 
festation of  Divine  power  and  revealed  unto 
Yusha,  the  son,  of  Nun,  that  he  should  strengthen 
his  own  and  the  people's  courage,  by  saying  unto 
them :  "  That  as  He  had  been  with  them  in  the 
past,  so  would  He  be  with  them  in  the  future  so 
long  as  they  continued  in  worshipful  submis' 
sion."  Praise  he  unto  Him  to  Whom  belongs 
the  kingdom  and  the  majesty  and  the  power  and 
eternal  existence.  There  is  no  God  but  He,  and 
no  kingdom  but  His  kingdom. 

3 


34        THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  BOOK  YUSH'A,  THE 
SON  OP  NUN,  THE  DISCIPLE  OF  THE  MASTER 
MUSA,  THE  PROPHET — PEACE  BE  UPON  HIM. 

After  the  death  of  Musa,  Kalimu'1-lah,1  God 
made  a  revelation  unto  Yush'a,  the  son  of  Nun, 
the  disciple  of  Musa  the  servant  of  God,  say- 
ing unto  him:  "  O  Yush'a,  arise,  start  out, 
and  with  thy  people  pass  over  the  Urdun 
(Jordan)  unto  the  land  which  I  am  about  to 
give  unto  the  children  of  Israil ;  all  the  places 
which  your  feet  shall  tread  shall  belong  to  you. 
Your  boundary  shall  be  from  the  wilderness  to 
el-Lubnan  (Lebanon),  and  from  the  river  el- 
Farah  (Euphrates)  unto  the  uttermost  sea ;  and 
no  enemy  shall  stand  before  you.  O  Yush'a,  as  I 
was  with  Musa — peace  be  upon  him — so  will  I  be 
with  thee,  and  I  will  not  forsake  thee  nor  desert 
thee.  Be  strong  and  exalt  thyself  exceedingly. 
Fear  not  nor  be  dismayed,  for  I  am  with  thee  and 
with  thy  people  in  every  place.  O  Yush'a,  do 
not  abolish  the  reading  of  what  Musa  the  prophet 
inscribed  and  wrote,  with  what  is  intrusted  unto 
the  Liwanites  (Levites)  in  the  place  in  the  holy 
house,  and  learn  from  it  night  and  day,  even  all 
the  days  of  thy  life,  that  thou  mayest  be  in- 
structed; for  if  thou  observest  the  same  and 
dost  not  swerve  from  what  is  commanded  thee  to 
the  right  or  to  the  left,  thou  wilt  succeed  and 
prosper,  and  thy  enemies  will  be  put  to  rout  by 
thee,  and  thou  shalt  tread  upon  their  necks." 
And  at  this  time  the  communication  ended. 

1  Note  34. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        35 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  YUSHA'S  ASSEMBLING  THE 
CHILDREN  OF  ISRAIL,  AND  HIS  RENEWING 
THE  COVENANT  WITH  THEM. 

After  Yush'a,  had  heard  what  God  revealed 
unto  him,  he  joined  unto  himself  el-'Azar,  the 
imam — peace  be  upon  him,  and  he  sat  down  upon 
his  sacred  chair,  while  Yush'a,  sat  upon  his  royal 
chair.  And  there  gathered  unto  them,  the  holy 
priests,  and  the  Liwanites  who  offered  the  sac- 
rifices, and  the  twelve  chiefs  who  always  attended 
them,  and  the  chief  judges,  and  the  seventy 
chosen  wise  men,  and  the  officers  over  the  thou- 
sands, and  hundreds,  and  fifties,  and  tens.  And 
with  the  assembling  of  this  congress,  the  trum- 
pets sounded  and  the  heralds  went  forth  pro- 
claiming a  general  assembling  of  the  children  of 
Israil.  And  it  was  not  but  an  hour  before  there 
were  gathered  unto  them  the  old  men  and  the 
young,  with  many  of  the  women  and  children 
and  all  the  army.  And  then  Yush'a,  began  to 
enumerate  to  them  the  things  that  God — Power- 
ful and  Mighty — had  manifested  by  the  hand  of 
our  master  Musa  the  Prophet — peace  be  upon  him 
— in  their  behalf  and  that  of  their  predecessors. 
Next  he  recalled  to  them  wherein  they  had  acted 
contrary  to  Him,  and  tried  Him,  and  rebelled 
against  Him.  And  he  said  unto  them  :  "  O  as- 
sembled men,  I  am  going  to  bind  you  to  the 
covenant  and  compact  which  existed  before  the 
death  of  the  Prophet — peace  be  upon  him — that 
you  will  not  associate  others  with  God,  and  that 
you  will  see  to  the  promulgation  of  the  laws  upon 
which  this  covenant  is  founded,  and  it  is,  namely, 
the  explanation  of  the  law,  and  the  explanation 


36         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

of  what  the  obedient  will  receive  and  what  shall 
befall  the  disobedient.  And  now  this  covenant 
in  which  I  do  confirm  you  is  not  with  you  and 
you  alone,  but  includes  you  and  those  whom  ye 
shall  beget  unto  the  end  of  the  ages."  And  he 
told  them  what  the  other  nations  were  wedded 
to,  concerning  the  worship  of  idols ;  and  in- 
formed them  that  God  was  with  them  as  long 
as  they  remained  in  obedience,  but  that  He  would 
remove  His  favor  from  them  upon  their  acting 
disobediently,  and  that  then  their  ways  would  not 
prosper,  nor  would  there  be  a  united  nation. 
Then  he  proclaimed  in  his  loudest  voice  :  "  As- 
sembled men,  let  there  not  be  among  you  a 
disseminator  of  corrupt  designs,  spikes  of  corn 
and  wormwood,1  (meaning  by  this,  one  who  asso- 
ciates others  with  God  and  unites  the  worship 
of  others  with  His  worship)  ;  nor  let  there  be 
among  you  one  who  cogitates  in  his  heart  wicked 
doctrines,  or  opposition  to  the  command  of  God 
— Powerful  and  Mighty — lest  there  be  a  de- 
struction of  this  mighty,  holy  nation  and  all  its 
greatness,  and  separation  from  the  Creator — may 
His  name  be  holy — and  your  enemies  attain  unto 
their  desires  and  plunder  you  of  your  cattle, 
and  wives  and  children.  For  whoever  adopts 
these  views,  or  any  part  of  them,  there  shall  fall 
upon  him  all  the  calamities  which  are  written  in 
the  Holy  Law,  and  God  will  blot  out  the  remem- 
brance of  him  from  under  the  heaven,  and  will 
make  him  distinguished  by  reason  of  his  calam- 
ities, apart  from  all  the  tribes  of  Israil.  And 
so,  be  sincere  with  your  souls  and  your  con- 
science, that  I  may  renew  the  covenant  with 
you  in  accordance  with  what  you  may  say ;  and 
God  and  His  heavens  and  His  earth,  and  His 
angels,  shall  bear  witness  against  you  in  what  hap- 

1  See  Deut.  xxix.  18. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        37 

pens  between  us  and  you ;  may  the  sentence  be 
in  your  favor  and  not  against  you.  And  now  if 
ye  continue  in  keeping  what  has  been  commanded 
you,  God — may  He  be  blessed  and  exalted — will 
bless  you  and  keep  you  and  protect  you  and  lead 
you  to  victory  and  will  subdue  your  enemies  and 
give  you  the  land,  concerning  which  He  swore,  by 
His  own  omnipotence,  unto  your  ancestors,  Ibra- 
him and  Ishaq  (Isaac)  and  Yaqub  (Jacob) — peace 
be  upon  them.  And  He  will  keep  you,  and  will 
keep  the  land  in  all  happiness,  and  He  will  remove 
calamities  and  all  disasters,  and  multiply  you;  but 
when  ye  shall  have  been  disobedient  and  rebel- 
lious, the  Divine  favor  will  be  removed  from  you, 
and  the  Divine  power  from  jour  side,  and  from 
your  support,  and  the  angels  will  be  removed 
from  your  side,  and  the  name  of  the  greatest  King 
depart  from  giving  you  assistance,  and  there  shall 
fall  upon  you  those  tilings  which  are  written  in 
the  book  of  Wrath  and  Curse,  and  He  will  scatter 
your  troops,  and  forget  your  affairs,  and  the 
enemies  will  take  possession  of  you,  and  there  will 
remain  no  longer  to  you  a  king,  or  shrine,  or 
possessions,  or  men,  and  God  will  disperse  you 
throughout  the  regions  of  the  earth  from  one  ex- 
tremity of  it  to  the  other,  and  He  will  make  you 
servants  and  subjects.  So  now,  whatever  ye 
say  and  believe  and  covenant,  let  it  be  the  real 
covenant  binding  upon  you,  and  let  this  second 
covenant  be  added  unto  that  which  He  cove- 
nanted with  you  through  our  master  Musa  the 
Prophet — peace  be  upon  him.  Therefore  act 
sincere  from  your  souls,  and  the  secret  thoughts 
of  your  hearts. 


38        THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

CHAPTER  XL 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  HOW  THEY  ANSWERED  HIM, 
AND  THE  COVENANT  THAT  THEY  ENTEEED 
INTO  AT  THAT  TIME. 

The  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israii 
answered  him,  while  crying  out,  weeping  and 
humbling  themselves  before  God,  and  casting 
their  souls  into  His  hands,  saying:  "O  our 
master  and  our  lord,  we  hear  and  will  obey  the 
command  of  God — Mighty  and  Powerful — and  of 
His  true  and  faithful  Prophet,  and  also  thy 
command,  O  king,  and  the  command  of  our 
imam  and  our  rulers,  and  there  will  be  no  oppo- 
sition to  what  ye  order,  and  no  deviation  from 
what  ye  say  either  to  the  right  or  to  the  left,  nor 
from  whatever  our  master  Musa,  the  Prophet — 
peace  be  upon  him — has  ordained,  and  there  shall 
be  no  rejection  of  a  single  part  of  it ;  and  who- 
ever shall  rebel  or  deviate,  and  act  treacherously, 
let  upon  him  be  the  Curse  and  "Wrath,  for  after 
this  manner  did  our  master  Musa  the  Prophet 
— peace  be  upon  him — agree  with  us  and  im- 
pose conditions  upon  us,  and  put  us  under  oath, 
and  covenant  with  us,  and  offer  up  for  us  the 
sacrifices,  and  we  answered  him  as  we  have  an- 
swered you.  And  God  is  the  witness  over  us  in 
this,  and  He  is  our  sufficiency  and  bountiful  Pro- 
tector." 

CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  WHAT  YUSH'A,  THE  SON  OF 
NUN,  DID  IN  ORGANIZING  THE  ARMY,  AND 
THE  MEMBERS  THEREOF. 

When  Yush'a,  beheld  the  zeal  of  the  people 
he  said :  "  The  One  who  has  insight  into  you 
and  your  purposes  is  God."  And  he  renewed 
with  them  the  covenant  and  compact,  and  offer- 
ed for  them  the  offerings,  and  the  imam  blessed 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        39 

them.  Thereupon  he  and  the  imam,  each  of 
them,  sat  down  on  his  throne ;  and  he  summon- 
ed the  leaders,  and  demanded  of  them  that  they 
should  make  out  a  census  of  the  children  of 
Israil,  tribe  by  tribe,  and  that  the  enumeration 
throughout  the  congregation,  should  embrace 
all  men  from  the  age  of  twenty  years  up  to  the 
age  of  fifty  years,  excepting  the  tribe  of  Lawi 
(Levi).  And  he  ordered  that  this  tribe  should 
be  enumerated,  from  the  boy  of  a  month  old  up- 
wards :  for  so  had  our  master  Musa,  the  Pro- 
phet— peace  be  upon  him — given  orders  before 
his  death.  But  such  as  were  under  twenty  years 
of  age  and  over  fifty  years  of  age  were  not  to 
be  included  in  the  enumeration.  And  the  lead- 
ers made  out  the  census,  and  the  whole 
amounted  to  601,730  men,  although  of  this 
number  the  tribe  of  Rawban  (Reuben),  and  the 
tribe  of  Gad,  and  the  half  tribe  of  Manashshah 
(Manasseh),  had  their  landed  possessions  be- 
hind the  Urdun  (Jordan),  even  nine  cities  with 
their  districts,  which  had  belonged  to  Sihun 
and  TTg,  the  sons  of  Anaq  ;  three  cities  and 
their  provinces  had  been  conquered  by  Nabih 
and  his  cousin  of  the  tribe  of  Manashshah1 
For  it  did  come  to  pass  that,  when  our  mas- 
ter Musa,  the  Prophet — peace  be  upon  him — 
conquered  these  cities  and  destroyed  their  in- 
habitants, that  there  gathered  unto  him  the  lead- 
ers of  these  two  tribes  and  a  half,  and  they  • 
said  unto  him  :  "  O  our  master  and  our  lord, 
these  cities  suit  us,  for  we  have  many  animals 
and  cattle,  even  though  they  be  approximately 
less  than  one  sixth  of  the  assigned  lands,  while 
the  whole  number  of  the  census  of  our  men 
comes  close  on  to  one  fifth  of  the  army  of  the 
children  of  Israil."     And  he  rebuked  them,  sup- 

1  Note  35. 


40        THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

posing  that  they  preferred  settling  apart  from 
their  brethren.  But  they  answered:  "Behold 
we  will  leave  our  luggage  and  our  cattle  in  these 
cities,  and  we  will  march  forward  under  one 
enrolment,  thrusting  aside  every  pretext,  and 
we  will  not  return  to  our  assigned  lands  until 
our  brethren  have  got  possession  of  all  their 
assigned  lands,  and  after  that  we  will  return  un- 
to our  assigned  lands  and  to  our  own  places." 
And  our  master  Musa  the  Prophet — the  most 
excellent,  peace  be  upon  him — answered  them 
favorably,  in  reply  to  what  they  had  asked  of 
him,  and  assigned  to  them  while  he  was  alive 
this  region.  And  the  first  of  those  whom 
Yush'&,  the  son  of  Nun,  enrolled  in  his  army, 
were  the  two  and  a  half  tribes,  and  the  whole 
number  of  their  enrolment  was  110, 580  men. 
And  the  whole  number  of  the  enrolment  of  the 
nine  and  a  half  tribes  was  491,150  men  ;  and — 
according  to  these  figures — the  chiefs  appor- 
tioned out  the  land  from  the  Urdun  to  the  sea< 
And  this  is  the  enrolment,  based  on  the  census, 
of  the  prosperous,  victorious,  holy,  triumphant 
and  blessed  army.  And  the  census  of  the  tribe 
of  Lawi  was  apart  from  the  company  of  which 
mention  has  been  made  before;  for  the  mem- 
bers of  this  tribe  did  not  engage  in  the  wars, 
nor  did  they  separate  from  the  service  of  their 
Lord;  and  the  whole  of  their  census,  from  a 
boy  one  month  old  and  upwards,  was  23,000 
men.  And  when  the  leaders  came  with  the  en- 
rolment of  the  census,  Yusha  the  son  of  Nun 
made  them  appear  before  him,  and  he  announced 
good  tidings  unto  them,  namely,  that  God  would 
bless  them  so  as  that  there  would  result  from 
one,  a  thousand 2  as  our  master  Musa  the 
Prophet — peace  be  upon  him — promised  them 
from  God — may  His  name  be  blessed. 

2  See  Joshua  xxiii.  10,  and  Deut.  xxxii.  30. 


THE  SAMARITAN  LOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        41 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

TH«E    ACCOUNT     OF     THE     SPIES  WHOM     YUSHA, 
THE  KING,  SENT  FORTH. 

When  Yush'a,  the  son  of  Nun,  heard  about  the 
mustering  of  the  Kanaanites,  and  the  assembling 
of  the  giants,  he  sent  out  spies  from  the  men  of 
experience,  intelligence,  prudence  and  piety,  to 
see  the  army  of  the  enemies  and  make  an  in- 
vestigation, and  to  proceed  to  Yar'ha  (Jericho) 
and  make  an  investigation  as  to  the  number  of 
its  men,  and  of  those  who  were  collected  unto 
them,  and  then  returning  make  it  known  to  him. 
So  the  spies  bid  the  army  farewell,  and  invoked 
God's  favor,  and  started  out  on  their  journey, 
having  changed  their  outward  appearance  to  the 
condition  of  ones  who  had  come  from  far  distant 
places.  Now  the  spies  knew  all  the  languages 
spoken  in  the  army  of  the  enemies.  And  when 
they  arrived  at  it  they  began  to  weep,  and  the 
enemy  asked  them,  what  news  they  had,  and 
they  said  :  "  We  are  men  from  the  people  of 
the  east,  our  companions  have  heard  tidings  of 
this  great  nation,  winch  was  for  forty  years  in  the 
wilderness  without  a  guide  or  provisions,  and  the 
report  reached  our  company  that  they  have  a  Lord 
whom  they  speak  of  as  '  The  King  of  the  heav- 
ens and  earth,'  and  that  He  has  appropriated 
unto  them  both  our  country  and  your  country, 
and  so  our  companions  have  sent  us  out,  that  we 
may  find  out  the  truth  of  what  has  been  reported 
unto  us,  and  make  it  known  to  them.  And  we 
have  journeyed  and  already  passed  by  you  along 
time  ago,  while  ye  were  busily  engrossed  in  your 
occupations,  and  we  did  come    to  the  army   of 


42        THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

that  nation  and  found  them  perplexed,  wander- 
ing round  and  round  in  the  wilderness,  and  the 
secret  among  them  was,  that  their  God  had  be- 
come angry  at  them,  and  would  not  bring  any  of 
them  into  the  land  except  two  men  ;  so  we  have 
returned  with  this  good  news,  gladdened  and  re- 
joicing. 

Now  when  it  was  so  at  this  time  that,  we 
know  what  this  nation  had  done  with  Sihun  and 
'Ug,  and  with  their  lands  and  territories,  and  also 
what  they  did  with  the  kings  of  Midyan  and  Mab, 
and  the  taking  captive  of  their  women  and  chil- 
dren, and  that  this  nation  was  bent  upon  entering 
your  country  and  then  our  country,  we  made 
haste  that  we  might  make  known  to  our  compan- 
ions the  truth  of  this.  And  we  journeyed  unto 
them  from  the  mountains,  and  we  had  but  just 
reached  the  vicinity  of  the  camps,  when  there 
came  forth  unto  us  three  or  four  men,  and  each 
of  them  took  hold  of  one  of  us,  and  fetched  us 
into  the  presence  of  the  new  king,  who  had  been 
invested  with  the  kingdom  as  successor  to  Musa 
the  Prophet — the  best  of  peace  be  upon  him. 
Now  his  companion  was  merciful  who  lifted  not 
up  his  glance  to  any  one  ;  but  this  one  was  as  a 
giant  man,  whose  conversation  broke  souls,  and 
whose  speech  split  hearts,  and  whose  reproach 
struck  astonishment  into  minds.  And  we  had 
but  just  stood  in  his  presence  when  he  knew  our 
name  and  our  origin  and  our  country,  and  when  we 
started  out,  and  the  places  at  which  we  had 
encamped,  and  in  all  that  he  mentioned  unto  us 
he  was  correct.  And  we  at  once  believed  in 
him  and  his  Lord,  through  fear  of  him,  but  he 
answered  us,  that  :  This  faith  is  not  a  faith  to 
be  accepted,  when  ye  do  so  through  fear ;  yet 
there  is  no  fear  for  you ;  go,  return  and  say  to 
all  whom  ye  meet  and  to  your  companions :  Look 
out  for  your   own  welfare,  and  whoever    flees 


THE  SAMABITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        43 

away  is  safe,  but  whoever  remains  shall  perish.1 
For  after  the  space  of  a  week,  the  water  of  the 
Urdun  will  stand  still  for  me  by  the  command  of 
our  Lord — the  Highest — until  His  people  shall 
cross  over ;  and  not  a  fortress  shall  be  shut  in 
their  faces,  when  they  shall  have  gone  around  it 
seven  circuits,  for  its  walls  will  fall,  and  all  they 
who  remain,  who  are  found  inside,  will  perish  : 
and  the  city  and  the  territory  will  be  our  ter- 
ritory, and  the  assigned  lands  shall  become 
ours,  assigned  unto  us  by  the  King  of  the 
heavens  and  earth  ;  whose  creatures  and  ser- 
vants all  kings  are.  And  this  is  the  whole  of 
what  we  heard  from  him,  and  we  know  that  his 
name  is  Yush'a  the  son  of  Nun,  and  that  he  is 
the  one  who  put  to  rout  the  Aml&q  (the  Ama- 
lekites),  and  is  the  slayer  of  Sihun  and  the 
destroyer  of  'Ug,  and  the  one  who  ruined  the 
kings  of  Midyan  and  Mab.  O  woe  unto  us  and 
woe  unto  you,  and  whatever  is  attached  unto  our 
country  and  your  country;  for  they  are  a  people 
who  have  no  pity,  nor  do  they  leave  survivors 
or  show  compassion,  nor  do  they  make  a  truce, 
except  with  those  who  are  outside  of  us  and  you, 
for  we  stand,  in  their  estimation,  in  the  character 
of  infidels  and  profligates  and  as  a  haughty  and 
rebellious  people ;  and  the  one  who  js  lucky 
among  us  and  among  you  is  he  who  takes  his 
own  people  between  his  hands  and  flees  away 
with  all  speed,  until  he  shall  have  got  out  be- 
yond all  their  assigned  lands,  ere  he  feels  regret 
where  regret  will  profit  him  nothing."  And  the 
men  rode  on  and  pursued  their  journey,  and 
after  this  manner  did  they  speak  with  all  whom 
they  met  until  they  returned  to  Yariha  (Jericho), 
and  here  it  became  known  about  them,  and  they 
were  sought  after  to  be  destroyed,  and  they 
begged  protection  of  a  woman  who  was  called 
1  Note  36. 


44       TBE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

Rahab  the  innkeeper,2  whose  house  was  beside 
the  walls  of  the  city,  and  she  took  them  out  and 
concealed  them,  and  gave  excuse  unto  those  who 
sought  them,  saying,  that  they  had  already  re- 
turned. Then  she  made  a  covenant  with  them 
and  they  with  her,  that,  if  God — Mighty  and 
Powerful — should  vanquish  for  them  this  city, 
they  would  spare  her,  and  spare  whatever  souls 
were  in  her  courtyard,  of  her  own  people.  And 
the  spies  enjoined  upon  her  to  fix  upon  the  roof 
of  her  house  a  sign  which  they  should  know, 
so  that  when  she  knew  they  were  drawing  nigh 
unto  the  city,  she  should  display  it ;  but  they 
stipulated  with  her,  that  they  would  be  innocent 
of  the  blood  of  all  such  as  were  found,  of  her 
own  people,  outside  of  the  courtyard.  And  she 
brought  them  out,  by  night,  and  God  willed 
their  safe  escape,  and  they  returned  to  the  army. 
And  they  told  the  king  and  the  imam  and  their 
congregation,  what  they  had  witnessed  and  what 
had  happened  to  them,  and  what  favor  the  woman 
had  done  in  their  behalf.  And  the  congregation 
answered  them  that  they  would  spare  the  woman, 
in  accordance  with  what  they  had  covenanted 
with  her.  And  the  report  of  her  spread  abroad 
throughout  the  army,  and  the  whole  congrega- 
tion of  them  knew  about  her. 

2  Note  37. 


THE  SAMAU1TAX  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        45 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  SUMMONING  OF  THE  CHIL- 
DREN OF  ISRAEL  TO  UNDERTAKE  THE  JOUR- 
NEY. 

When  Yush'a,  the  king,  heard  the  statement 
of  the  spies,  he  sent  forth  the  leaders,  to  pro- 
claim throughout  the  army  that  they  should 
proceed  on  the  journey,  having  with  them  pro- 
visions for  three  days,  and  also  to  say  in  the  pro- 
clamation :  "  O  assemblies  of  men  ?  Fear  not, 
nor  be  dismayed,  for  God,  your  God,  is  about  to 
journey  with  you,  that  He  may  show  forth  with 
you  a  miracle  at  this  time,  to  make  you  success- 
ful over  your  enemies  ;  and  as  to  the  miracle 
which  God  will  show  forth  with  you  at  the 
Urdun,  the  like  of  it  has  not  been  heard  of  in 
the  ages  past,  nor  shall  the  like  of  it  be  heard  of 
in  the  ages  yet  to  come.  And  it  is  the  first 
terror  of  you  that  shall  fall  upon  the  hearts  of 
your  enemies.  Therefore,  know,  that  the  holy 
priests  shall  carry  the  golden  ark,  which  is  the 
ark  of  the  covenant,  which  covenant  is  celestial 
substance,  for  it  is  the  tablets  wdiose  writing  was 
of  Divine  light : :  lo  they  are  celestial  substance  ; 
and  when  the  priests  with  the  ark  shall  enter  the 
water  of  the  Urdun,  the  water  will  stand  still, 
and  subside  by  the  power  of  the  ALMIGHTY, 
until  that  the  water  below  flows  away,  while  the 
water  above  shall  mount  up  and  increase  upon 
itself,  until  all  the  children  of  Israil,  and  those 
who  are  in  their  company,  shall  pass  over  in 
absolute  dryness." 

1  Note  38. 


46        THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

Then  Yush'&,  the  son  of  Nun,  himself  called 
out  and  said  :  "  0  assemblies  of  men  !  God 
commands  you  that  there  should  be  between  you 
and  the  priests  who  carry  the  ark  an  extent  of 
space  equal  to  two  thousand  yards,  so  do  not 
approach  unto  it  within  this  distance,  that  God 
may  complete  His  work  with  you."  Then  he 
ordered  the  twelve  chiefs  to  take  from  under  the 
feet  of  the  priests,  twelve  stones,  after  that  the 
children  of  Israil  had  finished  the  passage  over 
the  Urdun,  and  that  each  one  of  them  should 
write  his  name  upon  his  stone,2  in  order  that 
what  had  happened  might  be  preserved  and  per- 
petuated through  the  eternity  of  the  ages  to  come, 
even  the  miracle  which  God — may  His  name  be 
glorious — would  show  on  the  Urdun.  And  the 
Liwanites  (Levites)  proclaimed  with  loudest 
voice  :  "  Praise  be  to  the  God  of  Gods,  and  Lord 
of  Lords,  to  Whose  commands,  animate  and 
inanimate  things  are  obedient,  and  the  heavens 
and  the  earth  and  the  seas  and  the  rivers  and  all 
that  therein  is.  There  is  no  God  but  He,  and 
no  kingdom  lasts  but  His  kingdom,  nor  any 
power  but  His  power,  nor  is  there  any  lord  but 
under  His  lordship,  nor  any  sovereign  except 
under  His  sovereignty.  Praised  be  He  and  ex- 
alted and  holy  be  His  names.  Perish  whoever 
deny  Him  and  believe  in  another  than  He,  for 
He  is  the  God. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  PASSAGE  OF  THE  CHILDREN 
OF  ISRAIL  THROUGH  THE  URDUN  (JORDAN.) 

And  the  children  of  Israil  did  as  the  king 
commanded  them.     And  the  cloud  was  lifted  up, 
on  the  first  (day)  of  the  first  month,  of  the  first 
2  Note  39. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        47 

year,  of  the  first  period  of  seven  years  of  the 
Jubil (Jubilee)1  even  from  the  beginning  of  the 
entering  in  of  the  children  of  Israil  within  the 
boundaries  of  the  assigned  lands.  And  up  to 
this  time  there  had  elapsed,  of  the  days  of  the 
world  as  established  by  the  law,  two  thousand, 
seven  hundred  and  ninety-four  complete  years, 
and  this  reckoning  of  time  is  correct,  which  the 
learned  know  by  chronological  computations 
based  on  the  era  of  the  flood.  And  the  priests 
proceeded  forward  when  the  cloud  was  lifted  up, 
and  attained  to  the  distance  from  the  army  which 
he  prescribed  unto  them.  And  when  the  priests 
with  the  ark  approached  the  water  of  the  Urdun. 
the  Liwanites  shouted  aloud,  and  the  congrega- 
tion of  the  children  of  Israil  joined  in  with  them, 
saying  'with  one  voice  :  "  There  is  no  power  or 
strength  in  the  presence  of  Thy  power,  O  Lord 
of  worlds  !  "  And  the  water  stood  still,  and  rose 
up  in  accumulation,  by  the  power  of  its  Creator  ; 
He  who  is  almighty  over  whatever  He  wills,  the 
Worker  of  miracles  and  wonders.  And  con- 
tinued to  be  heaped  up,  wave  upon  wave,  until 
it  became  like  unto  huge  mountains,  while  the 
priests  stood  praising  God,  and  shouting  halle- 
luiahs and  saying:  "  Praise  be  unto  Him,  in  obe- 
dience to  whom  every  thing  exists."  And  they 
stood,  with  the  ark,  on  the  dry  ground  in  the 
midst  of  the  Urdun,  until  all  the  children  of 
Israil,  with  their  large  throng,  and  their  cattle, 
had  passed  over  on  the  dry  ground  through  the 
midst  of  the  Urdun,  on  its  bottom,  and  it  was 
dry  like  as  in  the  days  of  harvest.  And  the 
Liwanites  were  praising  and  shouting  halleluiahs, 
and  saying  :  "  Praise  be  unto  Him  in  obedience 
to  whom  every  thing  exists.  Praise  be  unto 
Him  by  whose  will  this  is  come  to  pass."  And 
when  the  people  came  out  of  the  Urdun  they  ob- 

1  Note  40. 


48         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

served  the  commandment,  and  took  the  twelve 
stones  from  under  the  feet  of  the  priests,  and 
each  man  wrote  his  name  upon  his  stone,  and  the 
king  also  took  a  similar  stone.  And  when  the 
priests  with  the  ark  came  up  out,  the  waters 
rushed  down  with  great  tumult,  and  winds  blew 
violently  with  the  rushing  down  of  the  waters. 
And  the  nations  heard  about  this  great  miracle, 
and  their  hearts  were  broken  up,  and  their  con- 
federated troops  were  scattered.  And  the  water 
of  the  Urdun  destroyed,  at  that  time,  many  places 
which  were  near  it,  by  reason  of  the  great  vio- 
lence of  the  wind  which  accompanied  it.  And 
God  does  whatever  He  wishes — Glorious  be 
His  name.  And  of  Him  do  I  ask  assistance,  and 
upon  Him  do  I  put  my  trust,  and  unto  Him  be 
the  praise  for  what  He  has  bestowed. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

AN   ACCOUNT   OF  THE  HYMN  OF  PRAISE,  WHICH 
YUSHA  THE  KING  OFFERED  UP. 

Then  Yush'a,  the  son  of  Nun,  and  the  children 
of  Israil  offered  up  the  hymn  of  praise,  which  our 
master  Miisa  the  Prophet — peace  be  upon  him — 
offered  up  at  the  sea  of  el-Qulzum,1  and  they 
added  thereunto  praises  and  halleluiahs,  and  ren- 
dered praise  and  thanksgiving  for  what  God  had 
generously  bestowed  upon  them.  And  among 
the  number  of  the  hymns  of  praise  which  they 
offered  up,  they  said  :  "  Who  is  like  unto  Thee, 
O  Thou  who  art  perfect  in  holiness?  O  Thou 
who  dost  inspire  terror !  O  Thou  who  dost  re- 
veal secret  things !  O  Thou  who  dost  perform 
new  things !  O  Thou  worker  of  miracles !  O 
Thou  displayer  of  wonders !  How,  O  our  Lord, 

i  Note  41. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        49 

shall  we  address  Thee  ?  O  Thou  revealer  of  signs ! 
O  Thou  who  makest  light  the  darkness  !  Who  is 
like  unto  Thee?  There  is  no  likeness  like  unto 
thy  likeness,  for  Thou  art  the  origin  of  actions 
and  likenesses  and  bodies,  and  forms,  and  shapes, 
and  spiritual  things,  which  are  endowed  with  the 
attributes  of  Thy  nature."  On  that  day  Yush'a, 
the  son  of  Nun,  was  magnified  in  honor  among 
the  children  of  Israil,  and  they  feared  him  as 
they  had  feared  Musa  the  Prophet — peace  be 
upon  him, — and  they  knew  that  God  was  with 
him.  And  Yush'a,  the  son  of  Nun,  set  up  twelve 
stones  as  a  monument,  rising  up  in  the  Urdun. 
And  the  chiefs  erected  the  twelve  stones  in  a 
place  called  Jalil  (Gilgal),  that  the  generations 
to  come  might  behold  them,  and  remember  the 
drying  up  of  the  Urdun,  and  so  praise  the  Doer 
of  miracles ;  and  that  fathers  might  tell  sons  of 
this  deed,  and  that  kings  and  nations  might  hear 
that  our  God  is  the  one  conquering  God.  And 
when  all  the  kings  of  esh-Sham  (Syria)  heard  of 
the  children  of  Israil's  crossing  over  into  the  land 
appointed  unto  them,  and  about  the  stoppage  of 
the  water  of  the  Urdun,  and  its  drying  up,  they 
arrayed  themselves  in  funeral  robes,  and  were 
smitten  with  fear,  and  some  of  them  died  through 
fear  of  the  children  of  Israil,  on  account  of  the 
greatness  of  the  awe  which  they  inspired,  And 
God  made  a  revelation  to  Yush'a,  the  son  of  Nun, 
saying :  "  To-day  have  I  spread  awe  of  you  and 
of  your  people  over  these  nations,  and  I  have 
lifted  off  from  thee,  and  from  thy  people,  every 
impurity  and  infirmity."  And  Yush'a  named  the 
place  Jalil,  and  it  is  its  name  unto  the  end  of  the 
ages.  And  praise  be  unto  God,  the  One  who  en- 
dureth  without   cessation. 

4 


50        THE  SAM  ABIT  AN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OP  ANCIENT  YAEIHA  (JERICHO), 
AT  THE  TIME  OF   ITS  CONQUEST. 

Upon  the  departure  of  the  king  from  the  place 
which  he  had  named  Jalil,  they  encamped  in  the 
districts  of  Yariha,  on  the  first  day  (of  the  feast 
of  unleavened  bread),  the  fourteenth  day  (of  the 
first  month).1  And  they  kept  the  passover  at 
this  time,  and  ate  unleavened  bread  from  the 
new  crops.  And  the  manna  ceased  with  their 
entrance  into  the  land,  and  their  eating  of  its 
crops,  and  of  the  fruit  of  its  trees.  And  when 
the  army  had  drawn  near  round  about  the  city. 
Yush'&  the  son  of  Nun,  retired  apart  from  the 
camps,  that  he  might  worship  his  Lord  by  night, 
and  when  he  had  finished  his  devotions,  he  lifted 
up  his  eyes,  and,  behold,  the  figure  of  a  man 
standing,  with  his  sword  drawn  in  his  hand,  and 
he  called  out  to  him  :  "  Yush'a  !  "  Thereupon 
he  (Joshua)  replied  :  "  Art  thou  of  us,  or  of  our 
adversaries  ?  "  And  he  answered  him,  and  said :  "  I 
am  of  the  messengers  of  God,  who  rule  over  pun- 
ishments." 2  And  he  (Joshua)  cast  himself  before 
him  on  the  ground,  because  of  his  majesty.  Then 
he  rose  up  and  said  to  him  :  "  Lay  upon  thy 
servant  the  command  which  has  been  brought 
unto  him."  And  he  said  unto  him  :  "  King,  take 
off  thy  shoes  from  off  thy  feet ;  for  the  place 
whereon  thou  standest  is  a  holy  place.  God — 
Powerful  and  Mighty — says  unto  thee ;  O  Yush'a, 
look  before  thee,  behold  I  am  about  to  place  in 
thy  hand  this  disobedient  city,  even  Yariha, 
with   its   Ling   and  its   people  ;  now   therefore 

1See  Joshua  v.  10.     Compare  LXX  in  loco.     2  Note  42. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        51 

choose  for  thyself,  from  among  the  children  of 
Israil,  men  of  might,  from  every  tribe  a  thousand 
men.  And  they  shall  go  round  about  the  city, 
six  circuits  in  six  days,  with  the  golden  ark,  the 
ark  of  the  covenant,  before  them  ;  and  they  shall 
not  talk  in  conversation,  or  be  intent  upon  any- 
thing except  offering  up  praises  and  halleluiahs, 
nor  shall  they  make  an  intermission  in  this,  or 
raise  any  gieat  tumult  during  the  space  of  six 
days  ;  yet  the  two  priests  shall  be  along  with  the 
two  clamorous  trumpets.1  But  on  the  seventh 
day  they  shall  go  round  about  the  city  the 
seventh  time,  and  the  two  priests  shall  sound 
with  the  two  trumpets,  and  when  the  company 
hear  the  sound  of  the  trumpets  ;  then  let  them 
shout  with  a  loud  voice,  three  times,  saying : 
4  God  is  omnipotent  in  battles.  God  is  His 
name.'  And  at  the  completion  of  this  act,  the 
wall  of  the  city  will  be  demolished,  and  the  fort- 
resses will  fall  down  before  the  people,  and  the 
army  shall  enter  the  city  and  destroy  it."  And 
Yush'a  returned  and  assembled  the  leaders  of  his 
people,  and  commanded  that  they  should  select 
twelve  thousand  men.  And  when  they  came 
unto  him,  he  gave  orders  to  them  to  march,  and 
with  them  should  be  the  saintly  priests,  bearing 
the  ark  and  the  two  trumpets.  And  he  gave  in- 
structions unfb  the  company,  that  they  should 
offer  up  halleluiahs  and  praises,  during  the  six 
da}Ts,  in  a  low  tone  of  voice :  but  on  the  seventh 
day  they  should  go  round  about  the  city  six 
times,  "  And  on  the  seventh  time  around  the 
priests  shall  sound  with  the  two  trumpets,  and 
upon  their  hearing  the  trumpets,  the  whole  army 
shall  shout  with  a  loud  voice,  and  instantly  ad- 
vance: and  then  the  fortifications  will  be  de- 
molished, and  God  will  put  the  city  in  your 
hands.  And  when  this  has  been  successfully  ac- 
1  See  Note  42. 


52         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

complished  by  you,  and  ye  have  attained  the  city, 
ye  shall  put  to  death  every  breathing  thing 
which  ye  find  in  it,  whether  of  men  or  animals. 
And  ye  shall  destroy  it  and  burn  it,  and  shall 
not  leave  in  it  any,  except  the  woman  who  is 
known  as  Rahab  the  innkeeper  ;  her  ye  shall 
spare,  and  also  those  souls  that  are  in  her  court- 
yard, according  as  the  spies  made  covenant  with 
her.  O  assemblies  of  men  !  Be  watchful  of  your- 
selves ;  do  not  take  anything  from  the  city;  burn 
its  gold  and  silver  and  brass  and  iron,  and  all  its 
appurtenances,  and  do  not  meddle  with  anything 
that  is  devoted ;  for  then  would  ye  and  the  army 
perish."  And  the  people  did  as  he  instructed 
them.  And  in  the  seventh  circuit  the  priests 
sounded  with  the  two  trumpets,  and  they  cried 
out  with  a  great  shout ;  and  at  that,  the  walls  of 
the  city  fell  down,  and  the  army  entered  in,  and 
put  to  death  every  breathing  thing  in  it,  from 
man  even  to  animals.  And  they  collected  all 
the  furniture  which  was  in  it,  and  placed  it  in  the 
middle  of  the  city,  and  burned  it ;  and  it  became  a 
mound  never  to  be  rebuilt.  And  Yilsh'a  proclaimed 
in  the  loudest  voice  ;  "  O  assemblies  of  men  !  It 
is  forbidden  unto  you,  and  unto  those  who  shall 
rise  up  of  your  seed,  to  build  up  in  this  city  one 
single  stone."  And  it  is  the  first  of  the  rebellious 
cities,  known  as  Ancient  Yariha  f  and  this  city 
was  devoted,  destroyed,  burned  and  converted 
into  a  mound,  never  to  be  built  up  or  restored, 
throughout  eternal  ages.3  And  this  was  done 
after  the  spies  had  entered  the  courtyard  of  the 
woman,  and  brought  out  her  and  every  soul  that 
was  in  her  courtyard,  and  preserved  them  from 
death.  And  the  name  of  Yush'a,  by  this  act  of  his, 
was  spread  abroad  unto  the  different  regions  of 
the  earth.  And  a  man  of  the  children  of  Israil 
committed  a  trespass,  and  entered  into  the  temple 

3  Note  43. 


THE  8AMABITAJS  BOOK  OF  JOSIIUA.        53 

of  the  idols  of  this  city,  and  he  found  therein  a 
goodly  thing  of  gold,  and  a  tongue  of  gold,  their 
weight  was  two  thousand,  two  hundred  and  fifty 
mithqals,4  and  he  took  them  and  concealed  them 
in  his  tent;  now  it  had  been  forbidden  him  to 
even  touch  it,  not  to  mention  his  taking  it  in 
theft,  and  hiding  it  in  his  place  of  abode.  And 
the  Lord  became  angry  with  the  children  of 
Jsrail,  on  account  of  him.  And  neither  the 
leaders  nor  the  king  knew  about  this  deed.  But 
praise  be  unto  Him  who  knows  secrets,  and  who 
shows  forth  miracles.  Blessed  be  His  name,  and 
exalted  be  His  fame. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  ONE 
WHO  TOOK  THE  DEVOTED  THING. 

When  it  was  morning  of  the  day  of  which 
mention  has  already  been  made,  Yush'a  the  king, 
and  all  the  army,  came  before  the  temple,  and  he 
made  the  chiefs  present  themselves  before  el- 
'Azar,  the  imam — peace  be  upon  him,  and  upon 
him  were  the  jewels.  And  the  jewel  which  was 
inscribed  with  the  name  of  Yahudah  (Judah) 
grew  black1 ;  a*nd  he,  in  succession,  presented  the 
tribe  of  Yahudah,  in  its  companies,  name  by 
name,  before  the  jewel ;  and  it  grew  black  at  the 
name  which  was  called  Aichan  (Achan),  of  the 
family  of  Zarah  (Zerah),  the  son  of  Yahudah. 
And  the  man  at  once  presented  himself  and  stood 
before  Yush'a  the  king.  And  the  king  said  unto 
him :  "  O  man  !  lift  up  thy  face  to  the  King  of 
the  heavens  and  earth,  and  know  that  He  knows 
secrets,  and,  O,  woe  be  to  the  one  who  imagines 
that  he  can  conceal  from  Him  anything,  or  cover 
4  Note  44.  i  Note  45. 


54         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSIIUA, 

up  from  Him  a  matter.  So  now  confess  as  to 
how  you  have  sinned,  and  what  you  have  taken 
of  the  devoted  thing ;  for  God  has  become  angry 
with  His  people  on  your  account."  And  the 
man  answered  him,  and  said  :  "  I  know,  O  king, 
that  I  have  committed  a  great  sin  before  God, 
Who  knows  what  is  secret  and  concealed,  and 
I^have  been  a  traitor  to  the  covenant  of  God,  and 
of  His  messenger ;  for  I  entered  the  temple  of 
the  chief  idol  of  Yariha,  and  there  found  a  goodly 
thing  of  gold,  and  a  tongue  of  gold,  and  their 
weight  was  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty 
mithqals,  and  my  soul  became  greedy  for  this, 
and  I  took  it  and  buried  it  in  my  tent.  And  now 
if  a  crime  like  mine  can  be  pardoned,  well  and 
good,  seeing  that  God  is  merciful  and  compas- 
sionate; but  if  there  is  no  pardon  for  it,  then  let 
there  be  executed  what  thou  shalt  command  in  my 
affair."  Then  the  king  sent  immediately  trust- 
worthy people,  and  they  brought  what  the  man 
had  mentioned  he  had  felt  greedy  after,  and  so  had 
taken  it.  And  the  governor  and  his  associates, 
the  chiefs,  brought  him  before  the  temple  of  the 
Creator,  and  command  was  given  that  he  should 
be  burned  outside  the  camp.  And  he  took  the 
man  and  burned  both  him  and  whatever  children 
he  had,  and  cattle,  and  all  that  he  possessed,  and 
he  placed  all  in  a  deep  valley,  and  commanded 
the  whole  army  to  stone  it  with  stones.  And  he 
named  the  valley  :  The  valley  of  'Akur  (Achor). 
And  after  this  God  removed  His  anger  from  the 
children  of  Israil ;  for  what  they  did  appeased 
Him.  And  unto  Him  be  praise  ;  for  His  bounty 
and  the  excellency  of  His  favor  and  goodness. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        55 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  HOW  CERTAIN  PEOPLES  OF  THE 
KANAANITES  PRACTICED  A  STRATAGEM,  AND 
OBTAINED   PROTECTION  OF  THE  KING. 

After  the  capture  of  the  city,  the  king  and 
his  people  returned  unto  the  place  which  was 
named  J  alii.  And  they  took  no  notice  until 
there  came  unto  them  a  company  of  men  whose 
faces  were  blackened,  and  their  garments  and 
shoes  worn  out,  and  with  them  was  bread  that 
had  become  putrid.  And  they  approached  unto 
the  king  and  unto  the  chiefs  of  the  children  of 
Israil,  in  this  place,  and  saluted  them,  as  the  like 
of  them  were  wont  to  salute,  and  they  prostrated 
themselves  before  the  assembly  ;  then  they  said 
to  the  king :  "  We  seek  protection  of  thee  and  of 
thy  people,  that  we  may  exist  in  your  company ; 
for  we  are  of  those  who  choose  for  ourselves,  God 
your  Lord."  And  he  answered  them :  "Verily 
I  will  not  grant  protection  unto  you,  unless  ye 
inform  me  who  ye  are  and  from  what  place  ye 
come."  And  they  answered  him  :  "  We  are  peo- 
ple from  a  far  distance,  we  have  heard  of  your 
fame,  and  what  signs  and  wonders  God — Power- 
ful and  Mighty — lias  revealed  to  the  children  of 
Israil,  even  in  the  sea,  and  in  the  desert,  and 
in  Wady  el-Mujib,1  and  what  has  happened  unto 
the  kings  through  you.  And  now,  O  king,  we 
have  repaired  unto  thee  that  we  might  be  in  the 
company  of  those  who  beg  protection  with  thee  ; 
for  we  believe  in  thy  Lord,  and  we  will  not  re- 
sist whatever  thou  shalt  prescribe  unto  us,  be  it 
small   or   great.      And  behold   thou   seest   our 

1  Note  46. 


56         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

blackened  faces,  and  our  worn-out  clothes,  and 
our  dried-out  food ;  for  we  did  not  start  out  from 
our  places,  to  come  here,  in  garments  of  old 
clothes,  but  this  is  the  necessary  result  after  the 
long  journey.  And  now  trust  us  with  protection, 
that  we  may  exist  in  the  company  of  this  great, 
blessed,  holy  people."  And  Yush'a  bid  some  of 
his  people  advance  unto  them,  and  he  entered 
into  a  covenant  with  them,  and  swore  unto  them 
by  the  God  of  Isr&il,  that  they  would  not  kill 
them,  nor  those  who  were  members  of  their  com- 
pany. And  when  it  was  after  three  days,  the 
king  found  out,  that  they  were  of  his  enemies, 
from  three  towns  near  by  him,  on  the  south  of 
the  blessed  mountain,2  and  they  were :  Jaba'un 
(Gibeon),  and  Qiryah3  (Kirjath-jearim),  and 
Birut  (Beeroth).  And  no  one  of  the  army  was 
able  to  go  to  this  place,  because  of  the  protection 
granted,  and  the  oath,  and  covenant.  Thereupon 
the  king  Summoned  the  men,  and  said  unto  them : 
"  Why  did  ye  conceal  from  me,  and  say  that 
ye  were  from  a  distance,  while  ye  were  neigh- 
bors ? "  And  they  answered  him,  and  said : 
"  We  knew  that  the  God  of  the  children  of  Israil, 
had  commanded  you  to  destroy  these  places,  and 
not  to  spare  the  sword  in  any  place  in  which  a 
soul  was,  and  we  feared  for  ourselves,  and  did 
what  we  did ;  and  now  we  are  in  thy  hands, 
O  king,  do  with  us  whatever  you  decide  upon." 
And  he  set  them  at  liberty,  and  made  proclama- 
tion throughout  the  children  of  Israil,  saying : 
"  Do  not  kill  them  ;  but  they  shall  become  among 
the  class  of  those  cutting  wood  and  drawing 
water  for  the  beasts."  And  they  did  this  with 
them,  according  to  what  he  commanded. 

2  Note  47.  8  Note  48. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        57 


CHAPTER  XX. 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  KANAANITES,  WHOSE  TER- 
RITORIES THE  LAND  WAS. 

Some  of  the  Kana'anites,  when  they  heard  of 
the  children  of  Israel's  passing  over  the  Urdun, 
had  fled  to  one  people  and  another;  but  when 
they  had  been  informed  of  what  had  befallen 
Yariha  and  its  people,  all  those  who  were  dwel- 
ling around  the  Urdun,  and  the  great  sea,  gath- 
ered themselves  together,  and  entered  into  an 
agreement,  and  made  preparation  to  meet  the 
children  of  Israil,  and  join  in  battle  with  them. 
And  they  sent  five  of  their  chiefs,  with  the  ma- 
jority of  the  army  with  them ;  and  they-  were 
bidden  to  advance  and  make  an  attack  upon  the 
three  towns  which  had  sued  for  themselves  pro- 
tection with  the  children  of  Israil.  And  they 
began  with  Jaba'un,  and  put  its  people  to  great 
straits.  And  the  inhabitants  of  Jaba'un  sent  unto 
Yush'a,  the  king,  to  inform  him  of  the  truth  con- 
cerning the  intentions  of  the  kings,  and  that  they 
had  already  commenced  by  destroying  them,  and 
that  they  were  now  in  a  state  of  severe  siege  and 
extreme  distress  ;  and  they  pled  their  cause  with 
him  with  the  greatest  emphasis,  and  begged  him 
to  deliver  them  from  this  enemy,  who  was  carry- 
ing out  the  designs  against  them.  And  while 
they  proceeded  on  their  journey,  the  king  col- 
lected his  assembly,  and  God  made  a  revelation 
to  him  in  that  night,  saying :  "  Do  not  fear,  O 
Yush'a,  behold  I  am  about  to  give  over  into  thy 
hands  these  five  chiefs ;  do  not  let  a  single  man  of 
them,  or  of  their  soldiers,  escape  safe."  So  he 
marched  forward  and  surprised  the  army  of  the 


58         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

enemies  by  night,  and  the  watchword  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israil  was  God  the  Omnipotent  in  bat- 
tles, God  is  His  Name.  And  the  five  kings 
were  driven  in  flight  before  them  unto  Kasahah,1 
and  unto  Maqadah  (Makkedah).  And  when  the 
children  of  Israil  came  up  with  them,  they  con- 
quered them,  and  did  not  spare  in  killing  them. 
And  Yush'a  spoke  unto  the  day  to  stand  still,  and 
it  stood  still;  and  the  day  was  great,  for  God 
heard  the  voice  of  the  children  of  Israil,  and  sent 
forth  the  angels  with  them.  And  the  five  kings, 
the  chiefs  already  mentioned,  fled  and  found  a 
cave  in  Maqadah.  Then  the  king  ordered  to  place 
great  stones  on  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  that  he 
might  keep  them  under  guard,  until  they  (the 
children  of  Israil)  should  return,  when  they 
should  have  made  an  end  of  destroying  the  rest 
of  the  army.  And  he  killed  the  multitude  of  the 
people,  and  not  a  single  man  of  them  did  escape 
safe.  Then  they  returned  to  the  cave,  and  the 
king  gave  command  to  bring  them  (the  five  kings) 
out,  and  to  throw  them  down  upon  their  faces, 
and  he  ordered  the  prominent  leaders  of  the  army 
to  tread  with  the  soles  of  their  shoes  upon  their 
necks ;  and  he  said  to  the  children  of  Israil :  "  Be 
strong  and  of  good  courage,  and  fear  not,  nor  be 
dismayed,  for  thus  shall  God  do  with  your  ene- 
mies." Then  he  gave  command  that  the  kings 
should  be  killed,  and  be  crucified  until  the  set- 
ting of  the  sun  ;  and  after  sunset  he  gave  orders, 
that  they  should  be  placed  in  the  cave  to  which 
they  had  fled,  along  with  the  wood  upon  which 
they  had  been  crucified,  and  also  that  there 
should  be  placed  over  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  a 
mound  of  stones,  to  perpetuate  the  knowledge  of 
this  unto  the  end  of  the  ages.  And  they  did 
what  he  ordered,  and  then,  being  gladdened,  as- 
sembled together. 

1  Note  49. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        59 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  THIS  ARMY,  AND  ITS  TRIUMPH, 
AND  THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  ITS  ENEMIES. 

When  it  was  in  the  beginning  of  the  eighth 
month  (now  this  is  the  time  of  the  journeying 
of  this  army),  the  king  divided  the  infantry  and 
cavalry  into  three  bands,  and  sent  each  band  in 
a  different  direction,  while  he  and  they  who  were 
with  him  journeyed  along  in  the  highway,  tend- 
ing towards  the  hostile  people  ;  and  he  first  alone 
was  the  one  who  surprised  the  enemies'  camp,  and 
he  held  them  for  a  considerable  time  in  an  en- 
gagement, and  they  were  not  as  yet  recovered 
from  the  surprise,  when  there  arose  a  cloud  of  dust, 
and  the  army  approached  from  every  side.  And 
when  the  children  of  Israil  beheld  one  another, 
they  shouted  out  with  loudest  voice :  God  is 
our  Lord,  who  wages  instead  of  us  the  war." 
And  God  on  that  day  showed  miracles  with  the 
enemy,  for  it  came  to  pass  that  every  one  who 
would  flee  fire  met  him  and  burned  him  up. 
And  a  spectre  appeared  among  them,  so  that  the 
horses  did  stampede  with  them,  upon  hearing  the 
shouts  of  the  children  of  Israil  and  carried  them 
down  to  death;  and  the  hours  of  the  day  were 
lengthened  out  for  them,  as  God  had  promised 
them,  until  they  had  accomplished  in  it  the  results 
of  a  whole  year,  and  not  a  remnant  of  the  enemies 
was  left  after  this  battle.  And  the  king  fromMah- 
zun1  wrote  a  letter  unto  el-'Azar,  the  imam,  bind- 
ing it  on  the  wing  of  a  bird  ;  telling  him  in  it  the 
good  news  about  what  God  had  bestowed  upon 
them,  and  what  He  had  shown  forth  among  them 

1  Note  50. 


60        THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

of  miracles  and  signs,  which  should  be  eulogized. 
And  he  also  informed  him  that  he  would  not 
return  until  he  should  have  taken  possession  of 
the  remaining  territorial  districts  for  the  children 
of  Israil.  And  he  set  the  bird  at  liberty  on  the 
morning  of  the  fifth  day,  and  it  immediately 
proceeded  on  its  journey,  under  the  blessing  of 
God  and  the  goodness  of  His  guidance  and  grace. 
And  he  (Yush'a)  continued  descending  upon 
one  city  after  another,  and  taking  possession  of 
them,  and  doing  with  the  rebellious  like  unto 
what  we  have  already  mentioned,  until  he  had 
completed  the  subjugation  of  the  territories,  and 
then  he  returned  in  the  first  month  of  the  second 
year.  And  it  resulted,  that  he,  in  one  year,  took 
possession  of  all  their  territories,  and  this  was 
the  region  of  the  seven  Kana'anites,  whose  fame  is 
enduring,  well  known  and  spread  abroad.  Then 
he  and  all  who  were  with  him  removed  apart  for 
purification ;  now  there  descended  from  the 
blessed  mountain  a  great  river  which  watered 
the  lowlands,  and  to  it  the  king  went  down  with 
all  his  army.  And  when  he  had  completed  his 
purification,  el-'Azar  the  imam  offered  up  for 
them  the  sacrifices,  and  they  celebrated  a  grand 
feast,2  the  carrying  out  of  which  was  complete 
and  consummate.  Never  was  there  witnessed  a 
better  feast  than  it;  for  the  people  were  united, 
not  having  as  yet  dispersed  throughout  their 
territorial  sections,  and  when  they  did  shout, 
and  praise,  and  exult  with  halleluiahs,  they  were 
heard  in  the  most  distant  and  remote  places. 
And  when  the  feast  was  over,  the  king  and  his 
assembly  gathered  together,  and  began  to  arrange 
the  distribution  of  the  territories  among  their 
people  ;  and  they  asked  God,  Mighty  and  Power- 
ful, for  His  favor  and  guidance. 

2  Note  51. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        61 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  APPORTIONMENT  OF  THE 
TERRITORIES  BELONGING  TO  THE  CHILDREN 
OF  ISRAIL,  AND  THEIR  BOUNDARIES. 

The  king  selected  men  from  the  geometricians 
and  their  associates,  and  from  the  land  sur- 
veyors, and  those  who  were  well  skilled  in  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  lands,  and  from  those  who 
assisted  in  surveying,  and  those  who  were  expert 
in  estimating.  And  he  gave  instructions  that 
they  should  divide  it  into  ten  parts  ;  and  he  him- 
self set  about  equitably  distributing  the  nine  and 
one  half  tribes  over  the  ten  sections.  There- 
upon he  defined  unto  them  the  boundaries  of  the 
lands,  according  to  what  our  master  Milsa  the 
Prophet — peace  be  upon  him — explained  in  the 
chapter  of  the  boundaries,  which  is  mentioned 
in  the  Law, 1  where  he  says  :  "  When  ye  come 
into  the  land  of  Kana'an  (and  this  is  the  land 
that  shall  fall  unto  you  for  an  inheritance, 
according  to  the  boundaries  thereof),  then  your 
south  quarter  shall  be  from  the  wilderness  of 
Sin  along  by  the  places  of  Edum."  And  this  is 
the  boundary  of  the  lands  of  the  two  and  one 
half  tribes.  And  then  he  again  says  :  "  And 
your  boundary  on  the  south  shall  be,  from  the 
furthest  eastern  part  of  the  salt  sea  unto  the  side 
of  Misr  (Egypt)  ;  and  the  goings  forth  of  this 
boundary  shall  be  at  the  gulf."  That  is,  from 
the  isthmus  of  the  wilderness  ;  by  which  is  meant 
the  land  of  el-He jaz  (Arabia),  and  esh-Sham 
(Syria),  and  the  pass  of  Haljat  (?),  a  narrow 
place  which  reaches  to  the   sea   (the  Arabah). 

1  Num.  xxxiv. 


62        TUE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

"  And  the  goings  forth  thereof  shall  be  south- 
ward of  Quds-er-Raqim ";  meaning  thereby,  to 
the  south  of  a  place  called  Quds-barna  (Kadesh- 
barnea),  upon  the  borders  of  esh-Sham  and  el- 
Hejaz ;  for  the  idea  held  by  the  people  of  that 
time  was  to  the  effect  that  it  came  unto  el-Khaq 
(?)  until  it  reached  unto  the  Nil  of  Misr  (Nile  of 
Egypt),  which  is  the  valley  whose  goings  forth 
are  to  the  sea,  the  coast  line  of  which  extends 
from  Misr  to  Falastin  (Palestine)  and  to  er-Rum 
(Greece).  "  And  your  western  boundary  shall 
be  the  last  sea."  And  the  last  sea  is  from  Misr 
unto  esh-Sham.  "  And  the  border  towards  esh- 
Sahm  extends  from  the  great  sea  to  the  mountain 
al-Jabal  (Mount.  Hor)  and  to  Ainan  of  Hums 
(Hazar-enan). "  The  king  here  meaning  the 
bend  in  the  mountain  el-Libnan  (Lebanon),  as 
far  as  the  limit  of  its  land  in  the  district  of 
Dimashq  (Damascus),  until  coming  eastward  it 
goes  around  it,  and  returns  sloping  downwards 
unto  the  Urdun,  and  its  goings  forth  are  unto  the 
salt  sea,  which  is  the  final  point  designated  in  the 
beginnings  of  the  chapter.  "And  this,"  (said 
Joshua)  "  is  the  smaller  part  of  the  assigned  land 
but  they  (the  surveyors)  shall  make  a  return  on 
the  half  of  the  greater  assigned  territories,  accord- 
ing to  the  sum  of  the  census  of  the  nine  and 
one  half  tribes."  Then  he  instructed  them  that 
they  should  set  apart  forty-eight  cities,  out  of 
all  the  territories  of  the  children  of  Israil,  unto 
the  Liwanites,  taken  out  from  the  divisions  ;  and 
from  their  total  number  there  should  be  six 
cities  of  them  (even  three  cities  from  the  whole 
number  of  the  cities  of  the  two  and  one  half 
tribes,  and  three  cities  from  the  whole  of  the 
assigned  lands  of  the  nine  .and  one  half  tribes), 
concerning  which  cities  God  —  Mighty  and 
Powerful — gave  command  that  they  should  be 
set  apart,  and  he  named  them  •>  "  Cities  of  re- 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSUUA.        63 

pulse  "  ;  that  is,  of  refuge  to  the  one  who  flees 
thereunto,  even  to  the  one  who  should  kill  his 
companion  inadvertently,  that  is,  by  accident, 
or  through  carelessness,  without  intention,  or 
malice  aforethought ;  so  would  these  cities  be  a 
repulse  to  the  avenger.  And  the  slayer  shall 
not  be  killed  until  he  shall  have  stood  before  the 
judge  and  the  assembly  of  the  leaders  ;  and  now 
if  he  did  kill  intentionally,  he  shall  himself  be 
killed ;  but,  if  it  was  through  carelessness,  then 
he  shall  flee  unto  some  one  of  these  cities,  and 
he  shall  not  go  forth  from  it  until  the  chief  imam 
dies  ;  and  if  he  do  go  forth  outside  of  the  bouncl- 
iirv  of  this  city,  and  the  avenger  meet  him  and 
slay  him,  then  shall  he  be  innocent  of  his  blood. 
And  the  men  (that  is,  the  geometricians  and  the 
estimators  and  they  who  were  well  skilled  in 
matters  pertaining  to  lands)  started  out  on 
their  journey,  according  as  they  had  been  com- 
manded. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 


SURVEYORS  RETURNED  UNTO  HIM. 

After  this  the  king  assembled  the  two  and 
one  half  tribes  before  el-'Azar,  the  imam — peace 
be  upon  him — and  the  leaders ;  and  they  thanked 
them  for  their  deeds  and  the  help  and  assistance 
they  had  rendered,  and  said  unto  them :  "  Ye 
have  zealously  observed  the  covenant  of  God  and 
the  covenant  of  our  master  Musa — the  best  of 
peace  be  upon  him — and  there  now  no  longer  re- 
mains to  us  an  argument  against  you ;  for,  verily, 
ye  have  acted  kindly,  and  have  preserved  life 
and  borne  hardships,  and  have  been  patient  in 
abstaining  from  visiting  those  whom  ye  have  left 
behind,  until  your  brothers  have  gained  their  goal 


64         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

in  taking  possession  of  their  assigned  lands.  And 
now  your  standing  is  exalted,  and  your  deeds 
grow  before  God  your  Lord,  who  is  the  rewarder 
of  good  deeds,  with  their  like  a  thousand-fold : 
and  ye  have  got  possession  of  your  assigned 
lands,  which  are  most  excellent  for  your  people, 
and  in  them  ye  have  no  opponent  or  oppressor. 
And  these  are  our  wishes  of  good  fortune  to 
you  in  it:  may  God  multiply  unto  you  in 
addition  to  it,  its  like."  Then  he  gathered  to- 
gether their  prominent  men,  and  invested  them 
with  robes  of  honor,  and  gave  presents  unto  them. 
And  he  commanded  them  and  enjoined  upon 
them,  to  go  over  the  list  of  the  census ;  and  they 
did  this,  and  not  a  single  man  of  them  was  miss- 
ing. And  they  did  eat  and  drink  together,  and 
renewed  the  covenant  between  them,  that  they 
would  remain  in  obedience  unto  God  alwa}^s,  and 
in  the  love  of  His  Prophet,  and  keep  His  com- 
mandments ;  and  that  they  would  come  to  the 
support  of  one  another  whenever  any  tidings 
should  reach  them,  whether  by  night  or  by  day, 
in  ease  or  in  distress,  in  joy  or  in  sorrow ;  nor 
would  they  have  a  falling  out  with  each  other, 
nor  pretend  to  be  asleep ;  but,  on  the  contrary, 
would  vie  with  one  another  in  showing  haste  and 
speed.  And  they  proceeded  to  bind  themselves 
unto  this  with  a  great  oath.  And  el-'Azar,  the 
imam — peace  be  upon  him — offered  up  for  them 
the  sacrifices,  and  then  the  leaders  of  the  congre- 
gation of  the  children  of  Israil  gathered  together 
to  bid  them  farewell.  Thereupon  the  king  ap- 
pointed as  king  over  the  110,580  men  (which 
was  the  number  of  the  two  and  one  half  tribes), 
Nabih  (Nobah)  the  son  of  Jil'ad  (Gilead),  of  the 
tribe  of  Manashehah,  and  invested  him  with  the 
ro}^al  robe,  and  placed  upon  him  "a  crown,  and 
had  him  ride  one  of  his  chosen  horses,  and  sent 
forth  before  him  a  herald,  proclaiming :  "  This  is 


TLLE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        65 

the  king  of  the  two  and  one  half  tribes,  who  is  in- 
vested with  their  judicial  matters,  who  shall  over- 
see their  affairs  ;  the  chief  leader  of  their  army  ; 
the  chief  orator  among  them  ;  the  one  who  shall 
be  asked  concerning  their  affairs ;  and  every 
judgment  of  his  shall  be  carried  out,  and  in  what- 
ever matter  of  judgment  he  has  doubt  he  shall 
refer  it  for  explanation  to  el-'Azar,  the  imam — 
peace  be  upon  him.  O  assembled  men  !  whoso- 
ever shall  oppose  his  decree,  or  withdraw  from 
obedience  to  him,  the  blood  of  this  one  can  be 
shed,  and  all  the  people  shall  be  innocent  of  his 
crime."  Then  he  delivered  unto  him  a  copy  of  the 
book  of  our  master  Musa,  the  son  of  'Amran  the 
Prophet — peace  be  upon  him — and  he  enjoined 
him  to  read  it  night  and  day,  and  informed  him 
that  in  it  were  marvellous  indicatory  signs,  show- 
ing how  life  may  be  prolonged  in  this  present 
fleeting  world  and  in  the  world  to  come,  and  also 
that  in  its  reading  was  protection  from  spirits, 
and  the  evil  eye,  and  calamities,  and  witchery, 
and  the  skill  of  the  enemy.1  And  he  gave  over 
to  him  twelve  tribes,  whom  he  commanded  to 
adhere  unto  him  and  not  leave  him,  until  he 
should  have  corresponded  with  every  chief  of  a 
tribe  resident  at  the  court  of  the  king  and  the 
saint  of  God ;  and  he  also  selected  for  him  men 
from  the  learned,  who  might  ease  him  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  government,  and  whom  he 
might  consult  in  important  matters  which  unex- 
pectedly arose  to  him.  And,  moreover,  he  gave 
over  to  him  two  thousand  men  of  the  Liwanites, 
who  should  take  up  their  residence  in  the  cities 
that  had  been  set  apart  unto  them  among  these 
tribes,  and  these  should  receive  the  portion  of 
God,  and  the  portion  of  His  saints  :  tithes  and 
votive  offerings  ;  and  should  perform  whatsoever 
sacrifices  were  incumbent  upon  them  in  every 
1  Note  52. 

5 


66         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

month,  and  should  execute  the  judicial  sentences 
in  the  presence  of  their  leaders,  and  should  es- 
tablish prayers  for  them,  and  oversee  the  matters 
which  it  is  unlawful  for  any  body  else  but  them 
to  do.  Thereupon  the  banners  were  unfurled 
before  him  (Nabih)  and  the  trumpets  sounded, 
and  the  saint  of  God  and  the  king  (Joshua)  rode 
out  with  their  assembly  to  bid  them  farewell ; 
and  it  was  a  great  day,  the  like  of  which  it  was 
not  possible  could  have  existed  in  the  world. 
And  they  proceeded  on  their  journey  under  the 
protection  of  God,  victorious,  triumphant,  happy 
and  rejoicing.  And  when  the  news  reached  their 
friends  who  were  watching  over  their  affairs  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Urclun,  their  assembly  came 
out  to  meet  them.  And  they  settled  down  in 
their  places.  And  Nabih  divided  out  that  region 
according  to  the  sum  of  the  number  of  his  com- 
panions. And  the  Liwanites  entered  into  their 
places,  and  attended  to  the  offering  of  praises 
and  halleluiahs.  And  glory  be  to  God,  for  His 
bountiful  favors  unto  them. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  RETURN  OF  THE  MEN 
WHO  WERE  EMINENT  IN  MAKING  SURVEYS 
AND  ESTIMATING  JUST  PROPORTIONS,  UNTO 
yush'a  THE  SON  OF  NUN,  THE  KING. 

After  the  return  of  the  geometricians,  and 
those  who  were  trained  in  surveying  the  land  out 
into  fields  and  equitably  proportioning  them,  and 
in  rendering  correct  judgments  as  to  their  trees 
and  everything  that  would  hinder  their  cultiva- 
tion, the  king  and  the  twelve  chiefs  assembled 
together.  Now  these  were  they  to  whom  our 
master  Musa  the  Prophet — peace  be  upon  him — 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        67 

had  given  instructions  that  they  should  unite 
with  him  in  dividing  out  the  land  ;  with  the 
restriction,  however,  that  no  one  should  obsti- 
nately oppose  him,  nor  should  any  quarrel  or  dis- 
pute occur  between  them  ;  and  they  began  to 
arrange  the  division  of  it  into  ten  parts,  and 
distributed  the  tribes  over  the  ten  parts  accord- 
ing to  the  greater  or  less  numbers  a  tribe  had, 
until  the}r  had  equalized  all  this.  And  when 
they  did  come  to  an  agreement  with  regard  to  it, 
they  permanently  settled  it,  and  perfected  it,  and 
clearly  set  it  forth  ;  and  when  the  opinion  of 
the  assembly  was  agreed  as  to  the  rectitude  of 
this,  they  brought  up  the  lists  unto  the  saint  of 
God,  the  imam  el-'Azar — peace  be  upon  him — and 
when  he  had  carefully  perused  it,  he  wrote  with 
his  own  hand  a  copy  of  the  distribution  and 
divisions  of  the  tribes.  Thereupon  he  wrote  ten 
tickets,  inscribed  on  which  were  the  parts  of  the 
distributions  and  of  the  assigned  lands,  and  he 
wrote  the  name  of  each  one  of  the  parts  of  the 
tribes  upon  a  ticket,  and  gave  unto  each  several 
chief  his  ticket.  And  then  each  chief  went 
apart  with  his  people  and  assembled  the  leaders 
of  his  followers,  and  divided  out  every  part  ac- 
cording to  the  sum  of  the  census,  to  every  man 
according  to  the  size  of  his  family.  And  with 
every  one  (of  the  chiefs)  there  went  forth  some 
of  the  geometricians  and  surveyors  to  equitably 
arrange  matters  among  them.  And  the  district 
embracing  the  excellent  mountain  fell  among 
the  assigned  lands  of  Yusha  the  king,  the  son  of 
Nun,  and  of  his  comrade  Kalab  (Caleb)  the 
leader  of  a  whole  tribe,  and  with  which  he  had 
started  out  on  the  journey  (from  Egypt)  in  com- 
pany with  him  (Yusha).  *  Thus  was  every  one 
permanently  located  in  his  place.  And  he 
(Yusha)  distributed  some  of  the  Liwanites,  every 
1  Note  53. 


68         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

one  in  the  place  which  had  been  set  apart  for 
him  out  of  the  whole  of  the  assigned  lands,  over 
and  above  the  division,  that  they  might  admin- 
ister the  affairs  of  the  people  in  reference  to 
prayers  and  judicial  matters,  and  also  receive 
the  tithes  and  perform  the  sacrifices.  And  he 
assigned  unto  each  tribe  chief-justices  who  should 
correspond  with  the  imam,  and  give  him  in- 
formation of  what  happened  in  their  districts. 
Then  Yush'a  the  king  built  a  fortress  on  the 
mountain  to  the  north  of  the  Blessed  Mount, 
which  (fortress)  is  known  as  Shamrun  (Samaria). 
And  his  wont  was  to  visit  with  el-'Azar  one  day 
in  each  week;  and  one  day  with  the  learned, 
that  he  might  take  counsel  with  them  ;  and  one 
day  with  the  chiefs,  that  he  might  inquire  into 
their  affairs  ;  and  one  day  he  spent  in  attending 
to  his  own  business  and  matters;  and  on  three 
days  he  left  not  the  book  of  God,  during  night 
and  day.  And  this  was  his  method  in  his  ad- 
ministration of  government,  when  he  was  not 
out  waging  war ;  for  he  did  not  hold  himself 
aloof  from  them.  And  he  built  a  synagogue  on 
the  summit  of  the  Blessed  Mount,  and  collected 
and  kept  in  it  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord,  and 
no  one,  after  him,  did  behold  it,  except  the 
priests  and  the  Liwanites. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  CIRCUMSTANCES  OF  THE 
CHILDREN  OF  ISRAIL,  AFTER  THE  DISTRI- 
BUTION. 

Then  the  children  of  Israil  began  to  inhabit 
their  assigned  lands  and  to  put  them  under  per- 
fect cultivation,  and  to  worship  their  Lord  with 
acceptable  service,  and  to  fulfil  on  each  day 
whatsoever  sacrifices  were  incumbent  upon  them. 


Til K  SA  MA  RITA  N  B  00 K  OF  JOSH  UA .        69 

And  God  showed  forth  with  them  blessings  and 
watchful  care,  so  that  calamities  were  removed 
away  from  them  ;  and  not  a  single  one  of  the 
kings  of  the  enemies  did  have  power  to  do  any 
violence  unto  them.  So  that  there  was  a  mul- 
titude of  their  own  travellers  journeying  from 
every  province  unto  the  Blessed  Mount  three 
times  a  year,  along  with  various  kings,  with 
wealth  and  joy  and  gladness  ;  and  not  one  of  the 
enemies  dared  even  to  look  towards  them,  or 
stand  up  in  opposition  to  them.  And  the  king 
and  the  leaders  and  the  whole  army  continued 
in  rest  and  tranquillity  for  a  period  of  twenty 
years.  There  was  no  molestation  or  insurrection 
since  now  their  surrounding  enemies  were  far 
removed  from  them  and  dispersed  throughout 
the  regions  of  the  earth  1 ;  and  they  who  were 
near  them  had  made  peace  with  them,  so  no  one 
was  stirring  up  a  commotion,  nor  was  there  a 
kingdom  spreading  itself  abroad  except  their 
kingdom,  or  any  hand  outstretched  except  their 
hands.  And  not  a  single  day  did  pass  but  that 
they  heard  news  of  all  their  companions  ;  and 
thus  did  they  continue  to  have  intelligence  of 
them,  until  this  period  came  to  a  close.  Then 
after  this  there  happened  those  things  which 
by  the  will  of  God,  and  His  assistance,  we  will 
narrate  and  explain.     (To  Him  be  the  praise.) 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  SHAUBAK  THE  SON  OF  HAMAM, 
THE  KING  OF  THE  PERSIANS. 

HAMAM,  the  son  of  R'awan,  king  of  the  Per- 
sians, had  been  put  to  death  along  with  all  the 
kings   whom    Yush'a  had  killed,  then  his  child 

1  Note  54. 


70        THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

grew  up,  who  was  known  by  the  name  of  Shau- 
bak,1  and  he  was  eminent  in  attainments  and  in 
the  acquisition  of  wealth.  And  he  began  corre- 
sponding with  kings  throughout  all  the  regions, 
puffing  some  of  them  up,  and  stirring  up  others 
of  them  to  anger,  and  influencing  some  of  them 
by  promises,  and  conciliating  others  of  them 
with  gifts  of  riches.  Thereupon  he  said,  that  lie 
wished  to  take  revenge  for  the  murder  of  his 
father.  And  he  also  corresponded  with  the  sur- 
vivors of  the  Kana'anites,  and  recalled  to  their 
memory  what  the  children  of  Israil  had  done  with 
their  children,  their  wives,  their  cities  and  their 
possessions.  Then  he  sent  also  unto  the  king  of 
Arminiyeh  (Armenia)  the  Greater,  and  Rumiyeh 
the  Less  (Asia  Minor).  And  he  joined  unto  him- 
self the  son  of  Yafet  (Japheth)  the  giant,2  and 
also  sent  unto  the  king  of  Saida  (Siclon)  and  of 
el-Qaimun,3  and  to  the  king  of  esh-Sham  (Syria), 
making  known  unto  them  what  army  had  been 
assembled  together  unto  him,  and  agreed  with 
them  that  they  should  assemble  together  at  el- 
Qaimun.  And  the  opinion  of  the  chiefs  of  the 
army  and  its  leaders  were  agreed  that  they 
should  send  (as  spy)  a  clothing-merchant,  who 
should  count  the  men,  and  inform  himself  as  to 
the  army  (one  who  was  clever  in  prudent  man- 
agement), in  order  that  he  might  make  known 
to  them  the  condition  of  the  children  of  Israil, 
and  how  was  the  way  to  them  and  the  means  of 
getting  at  them.  And  they  resolved  to  write  and 
forward  by  his  hand  a  letter  from  their  company 
to  Yush'a  the  king,  so  that  they  might  obtain 
security  for  him,  seeing  he  acted  as  a  messenger, 
for  upon  a  messenger  rests  no  crime  and  hence 
no  fear. 

1  Note  55.  2  Note  56.  8  Note  57. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        71 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

STATEMENT  OF  A  COPY  OF  THE  LETTER  WHICH 
THE  GIANTS  SENT  UNTO  YUSH'A  THE  SON  OF 
NUN,  THE   KING. 

The  letter  began : 

"  From  the  assembly  of  the  giants,  the  confed- 
erated, well-known,  far-famed,  victorious,  trium- 
phant, mighty  in  courage,  protected  with  armor, 
and  the  foremost  of  all  mortals ;  to  Yush'a  the 
shepherd,  the  son  of  Nun,  and  to  his  people. 
Peace  from  us  unto  you. 

We  know,  O  murdering  wolf,1  what  thou  hast 
done  in  the  cities  of  our  associates,  and  that  thou 
hast  in  murder  destroyed  all  of  their  leaders  and 
sent  them  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  lowest 
depths,  and  hast  demolished  the  places  in  which 
there  was  for  us  aid,  and  hast  put  down  the 
provinces  which  were  our  supports  and  from 
which  our  helpers  were  ever  providing  them- 
selves with  food,  and  hast  destroyed  for  us  thirty 
cities,2  besides  residences  and  small  towns,  and 
that  thou  didst  not  reverence  old  men,  nor  have 
compassion  upon  little  infants,  nor  didst  thou 
give  ear  unto  them  and  grant  them  protection, 
nor  leave  a  place  unto  those  begging  safety  of 
thee,  nor  grant  time  for  good  action.  And  the 
reason  of  this  (thy  success)  was,  that  then  we 
were  distracted  by  discords  and  dissensions,  and 
a  lack  of  unity  in  our  counsels  ;  but  now  under- 
stand, O  murdering  wolf,  that  we  are  coming  unto 
you  with  all  the  kings  in  harmonious  agreement, 
with  spirits  in  concord,  and  tongues  that  have 
pledged  mutual  covenants,  and  hands  that  have 
1  Note  58.  2  Note  59. 


72         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

been  struck  together.  With  conditions  all- 
perfected,  and  souls  full  (of  wrath)  and  accu- 
mulated complaints,  and  livers,  as  it  were,  cut 
asunder,  whom  no  stampede  can  ever  overcome, 
nor  a  great  fire  put  to  fright.3 

And  now  after  thirty  days  we  will  bring  on 
the  battle  between  us  and  thee  in  Merj  Balata,4 
in  front  of  the  mountain  upon  which  thou  wor- 
shipest  thy  Lord,  which  is  referred  to  as  the 
Mount  of  Blessing.  And  there  will  be  no  delay 
on  our  part,  or  on  the  part  of  any  one  of  us  ;  so 
be  prepared  for  those  whom  thou  shall  meet,  and 
make  no  excuse  for  thyself  by  saying  that  thou 
art  taken  by  surprise,  or  that  a  stratagem  has 
been  employed  against  thee,  or  that  the  enemy 
came  against  thee  by  night.  And,  moreover, 
know  that  in  our  company  there  are  thirty-six 
kings,  and  in  the  army  of  each  king  sixty  thou- 
sand knights,  besides  foot>soldiers  innumerable 
and  countless,  who  make  sport  of  devices  (em- 
ployed) ;  and  there  is  also  with  us  the  son  of 
Yafet  the  giant,  who  has  with  him  a  thunderbolt 
of  steel,  and  when  he  hurls  it,  and  it  is  granted 
full  success,  it  kills  a  thousand  men,  and  when 
full  success  is  not  granted,  it  kills  five  hundred 
men  ;  and  they  who  are  with  him  are  kings,  and 
with  them  are  instruments  and  implements  of 
war,  which  they  have  inherited  from  their  grand- 
father Nuh  (Noah) — peace  be  upon  him.  There- 
fore take  knowledge  of  this  and  act  in  accordance 
therewith,  and  look  out  for  thyself,  for  thou  art 
about  to  be  brought  to  account  for  what  thou 
hast  done.     And  now  peace." 

And  the  messenger  took  the  letter,  and  pro- 
ceeded on  his  journey  at  once.  And  they  began 
to  draw  up  the  army  and  arrange  it  in  order,  and 
set  out  upon  the  journey  to  el-Qaimun,  that  they 

8  See  Chap.  xxl.  * 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        73 

might  unite  with  their  confederates  whom  they 
had  summoned  by  letter  to  be  present. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE    HISTORY    OF    THE   MESSENGER,  AND   WHAT 
CAME   OF   HIM. 

The  messenger  executed  his  orders  on  the 
tenth  day  of  the  second  month  of  the  twenty 
first  year  of  the  reign  of  the  children  of  Israil, 
after  their  entrance  into  this  territory  :  and  lie 
arrived  on  the  fifth  day  (of  the  week),  the 
morrow  being  the  day  of  el-Miqra  (the  Convo- 
cation), that  is  the  festival  of  weeks.  And  he 
handed  his  letter  unto  the  king,  as  he  was  sitting 
upon  his  royal  throne  pronouncing  sentences 
upon  such  of  them  as  were  worthy  of  death,  and 
such  of  them  as  deserved  to  be  burned,  and  such 
of  them  as  deserved  to  be  stoned,  and  such  of 
them  as  deserved  to  be  imprisoned;  for  important 
cases  were  referred  up  to  him  at  the  time  of  the 
feasts,  and  then  judgment  was  passed  upon  these 
in  accordance  with  the  light  of  God  and  the 
command  of  His  saint.  And  he  (Yvish'a)  did 
not  turn  towards  the  messenger  until  he  had 
concluded  his  judgments,  and  had  finished  ren- 
dering his  judicial  decisions  at  the  end  of  the  day, 
then  he  took  the  letter,  and  read  it  at  his  home, 
and  not  a  single  person  knew  about  it  until  his 
feast  had  passed  by,  and  so  the  people  did  rejoice 
during  their  feast;  but  he  himself  was  distracted 
in  mind.  Meanwhile  the  messenger  was  behold- 
ing the  greatness  of  the  army,  and  its  good 
qualities,  and  the  circumstances  of  the  king  and 
his  prudent  management,  and  the  affairs  of  the 
Creator  and  His  power,  and  the  descending 
column  of  fire  with  its  majesty,  and  he  likewise 


74         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

saw  the  saint  of  God  and  the  terror  which  hedged 
him  about,  the  like  of  which  had  never  been 
beheld,  or  the  like  of  it  heard  of  in  preceding 
ages.  And  when  the  children  of  Israil  had 
celebrated  the  feast,  the  king  gathered  together 
his  assembly,  and  had  proclamation  made  through- 
out his  army,  and  sent  word  to  his  chief  com- 
ma ude  is  to  assemble  their  comrades.  Thereupon 
he  brought  the  messenger  into  their  presence  ; 
but  placed  him  in  confinement  in  a  certain  place 
so  that  he  might  not  witness  their  agitation  or 
change  of  countenance.  And  when  the  leaders 
of  the  people  were  assembled,  he  read  unto  them 
the  letter  of  the  giants,  and  said  to  them  : 
"  Verily,  never  have  I  been  overtaken  by  any- 
thing similar  to  this  letter  ;  and  though  I  have 
waged  wars  for  sixty  years,  yet  never  have  I 
heard  its  like,  nor  anything  approaching  unto 
it."  And  when  they  had  heard  the  letter,  their 
color  changed  and  their  heads  hung  down,  and 
they  said  :  "  Never  have  we  heard  the  like  of 
this  performance,  nor  have  we  ever  encountered 
anything  similar  to  it,  or  waged  war  with  an 
army  such  as  this  is;  but  this  war  is  one  for  God, 
and  for  us  and  for  our  children,  and  for  thee,  O 
king,  overseer  and  master  ;  and  now  manage  us 
in  accordance  with  the  guidance  and  grace  of 
God,  and  we  will  be  obedient  to  thy  supreme 
authority." 

Then  he  brought  out  to  them  a  reply  which 
he  had  dictated,  and  he  had  dictated  that 
which  he  had  composed  in  accordance  with  the 
light  of  God — may  His  name  be  mighty — and  he 
said  to  them  :  "  This  I  lay  before  you  as  a  reply 
that  I  have  written,  and  as  an  address  that  I 
have  drawn  up,  and  if  it  seem  to  you  to  be  the 
proper  thing,  I  will  send  it  ;  but  if  your  opinion 
be  that  it  should  be  abandoned,  I  will  discard  it." 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        75 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE   REPLY  SENT  TO  THE 
GIANTS. 

It  began,  saying  : 

"  In  the  name  of  God,  the  Supreme  King, 
the  God  of  worlds,  the  Compassionate,  the 
Merciful,  the  God  of  gods  and  Lord  of  lords, 
the  King  of  kings,  the  Knower  of  secrets,  the 
One  resolute  in  wars,  the  God  of  I  brain  m  and 
Ishaq  and  Yaqub,  the  Destroyer  of  infidels,  the 
Annihilator  of  tyrants,  the  Destroyer  of  the 
obstinate,  the  Extirpator  of  intriguers,  the  Col- 
lector of  the  dispersed,  the  Scatterer  of  the 
confederates,  the  One  who  brings  the  dead  to 
life,  the  One  who  puts  to  death  the  living  :  His 
hand  is  above  the  highest  of  the  highest,  and 
under  His  outstretched  arms  is  eternity,  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  are  in  His  grasp,  the  holy 
angels  in  all  their  numbers  and  the  whole 
creation  He  did  create  by  His  omnipotent  power, 
and  the  spheres  and  the  heavenly  bodies  moved 
under  His  guardian  care,  their  rapid  course  He 
stopped  by  His  mere  word,  and  put  in  motion 
moving  bodies  by  His  divine  authority.  Of  this 
Lord  do  I  ask  assistance,  and  upon  Him  do  I 
place  my  trust,  and  in  Him  do  I  grow  strong, 
and  Him  do  I  fear,  and  His  mercy  is  a 
shield  unto  me  and  unto  my  children,  and 
He   is   my   sufficiency  and  excellent   Protector. 

But  now  to  proceed  to  what  follows:  I  am 
Yush'a,  the  son  of  Nun,  the  mortal  and  spiritual,1 
the  disciple  of  Kalimu'1-lah2  (Moses),  a  child  of 
Khalilu'1-lah3  (Abraham)  ;  upon  me  and  upon  my 

1  Note.  11    2  Note  34.    3  Note  61. 


76        THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

people  be  peace,  mercy  and  success.  But  as  for 
you,  0  ye  people  of  unbelief  and  false  religion 
and  profligacy  and  given  over  unto  the  curse, 
corrupters  throughout  the  land,  destroyers  of  the 
servants  of  God,  worshippers  of  idols,  who  kneel 
down  unto  images,  who  bow  down  unto  the 
celestial  bodies,  who  are  subservient  unto  spirits, 
who  are  slaves  unto  matter ;  let  not  the  peace  of 
God  rest  upon  you  or  upon  your  people,  and 
may  He  not  make  your  way  successful  or  }'our 
circumstances  prosperous,  and  may  He  not  have 
pity  upon  your  young  or  feel  compassion  for 
your  aged,  may  He  not  permit  you  to  attain 
unto  your  purposes  or  accomplish  your  wishes  ; 
but  may  He  make  your  condition  ruinous  and 
scatter  your  confederation  ;  and  this  He  will  do 
by  the  terror  of  His  power  and  the  omnipotence 
of  His  will ;  for  He  is  a  hearer  and  answerer  (of 
prayer).  Ye  have  mentioned  (may  God  not  let 
the  remembrance  of  you  remain,  may  He  not 
make  }rou  successful  in  a  single  thing,  may  He 
not  bring  to  completion  any  thing  which  }~e  have 
begun,  may  He  not  leave  any  life  unto  you),  that 
ye  are  reinforced,  joyful  with  good  news,  irresis- 
tible in  power,  and  fully  able  to  undertake  the 
expedition  towards  me,  and  engage  in  battle  with 
me  around  the  place  on  which  I  worship  my 
Lord,  which  is  the  Mount  of  Blessings  and  the 
holy  spot,  even  the  house  of  our  Lord  and  the 
place  of  our  God.  May  ye  have  no  life  and  may 
that  not  come  to  pass,  and  may  ye  not  behold 
my  place  with  your  eyes,  and  may  the  hallowed 
plain  not  be  polluted  with  your  armaments,  and 
may  ye  never  boast  that  ye  have  trodden  my 
soil,  nor  of  even  having  approached  unto  my 
soil,  nor  of  having  got  into  my  vicinity  through 
any  way  whatever.  But  now  as  to  your  grant- 
ing a  delay ;  God  does  not  grant  unto  you  a 
delay  in  undertaking  the  journey  until  after  the 


THE  8 J  M Mil T.  I  X  BOOK  O F  JOSHUA .        77 

expiration  of  thirty  days,  and  therefore  I  will 
not  put  off  the  journey  unto  you,  nor  will  I  grant 
3*011  any  delay  except  only  for  seven  days,  and 
then  I  will  make  the  attack  and  with  me  will  be 
the  troops  which  I  will  select;  and  they  who 
have  been  tyrannical  will  then  find  out  with  what 
overthrow  they  shall  be  overthrown.  Therefore 
know  for  a  certainty  and  consider  and  under- 
stand and  be  aware,  that  I  shall  bring  on  the 
battle  between  me  and  you  in  the  place  known 
as  el-Qaimun,  and  it  is  verily  the  place  in  which 
ye  shall  not  get  away  from  me,  nor  depart 
from  it,  nor  flee  unto  another  place,  but  there 
destroyed  by  the  slaughter  of  the  sword  and  put 
to  death  by  strangling  and  burned  with  fire  and 
annihilated  in  vengeance ;  it  shall  not  be  unto 
you,  O  deluded  ones,  as  ye  now  boast  it  shall. 
And  I  do  not  say  as  ye  say,  that  there  will  march 
with  me  six  hundred  thousand  men  who  did 
wage  war  with  Greater  Misr  (Egypt),  and  did 
eat  the  sacrifices  of  the  passover,  and  around 
whom  the  angels  kept  guard,  and  who  crossed 
the  sea  in  dryness  and  journeyed  through  the  wil- 
derness without  any  guide,  the  pillar  of  fire 
sheltering  them  from  the  cold  by  night  and  the 
pillar  of  cloud  sheltering  them  from  the  heat  by 
day,  and  whose  food  was  the  manna  from  heaven 
during  forty  years,  and  for  whose  sake  the  bitter 
water  became  sweet,  and  for  whose  sake  the 
water  was  brought  forth  from  the  rock,  and  who 
heard  the  voice  of  the  Creator — Plis  mention  be 
honored  and  His  name  glorious,  and  who  beheld 
the  quaking  of  the  mountain  at  his  command, 
and  the  desi ruction  of  Sihun  and  *Ug  and  their 
people,  and  who  inhabited  their  cities,  and  for 
whose  sake  the  water  of  the  Urdun  was  stayed 
until  they  had  passed  through  it,  and  who  fought 
with  Yariha  and  with  the  cities  which  ye  well 
know.     I  do  not  boast  that  there  march  with  me 


78         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

giants,  as  ye  boast ;  but  there  march,  with  me 
twelve  thousand  young  men,  who  entered  Mid- 
yan  in  safety,  fought  with  it  and  came  out  safely 
therefrom.  There  is  with  me  no  thunderbolt 
such  as  ye  mention ;  but  with  me  is  the  Lord  of 
thunderbolts  and  the  Controller  of  the  blowing 
winds,  yea  with  me  is  the  One  who  takes  away 
spirits  and  who  hears  the  voices  of  prayer,  the 
Creator  of  the  whole  creation  and  the  Distribu- 
tor of  gifts,  whose  greatness  is  glorious ;  He  is 
the  God  whose  creation  is  all  gods  and  whose 
servants  all  kings  are — blessed  be  He  and  ex- 
alted, in  His  company  are  three  angels  of  His  of 
whom,  one  brought  the  water  of  the  flood  upon 
the  world  to  destroy  corrupt  transgressors,  and 
another  scattered  the  king  of  Babil  (Babel,  Ba- 
bylon) and  his  host,  and  demolished  their  fort- 
ress and  changed  their  languages,  and  another 
lifted  up  his  five  fingers  five  kings  of  cities,  even 
Saclum  (Sodom)  and  its  buildings  and  riches 
and  animals  and  plants,  and  rained  down  upon 
it  sulphur  and  fire  and  salt.4  He  who  has  in  His 
company  thousands  and  myriads  of  thousands  of 
angels  similar  unto  these  ;  what  king  then  shall 
boast  that  he  can  stand  before  this  King,  whose 
rank  and  dignity  is  so  great,  whose  position  is  so 
exalted,  by  whose  mighty  power  the  kings  were 
destroyed  and  in  obedience  to  whom  the  true 
believers  believe  ?  What  army  can  stand  before 
Him  ?  What  giant  can  march  out  against  Him  ? 
What  great  commander  can  escape  from  Him  ? 
Unto  what  place  can  any  flee  from  Him? 
Have  ye  not  heard  of  our  poems  wherein  we 
say :  "  There  is  no  power  or  might  except 
in  God,  the  Exalted,  the  Great;  if  it  (the 
power  of  God)  came  to  the  water,  it  (the 
water)  stood  still.  The  idols  heard  it  and  fell 
down  one  after  another?"      Know  that  ye  are 

4  Note  62. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        79 

the  ones  who  are  consumed,  taken  and  killed : 
ye  shall  not  find  a  place  unto  which  to  flee,  nor 
a  refuge  on  which  ye  may  rely ;  ye  are  ruined, 
ye  are  discomfited,  ye  are  destroyed,  yea,  your 
people  and  your  men  and  yourselves,  and  ye 
have  made  3'our  wives  widows  and  have  rendered 
your  children  orphans;  ye  have  made  your  ene- 
mies to  rejoice,  and  3-e  have  cut  off  j-our  purpose 
before  its  allotted  season  and  have  made  weak 
your  power  before  its  time ;  ye  were  ungrateful 
with  the  Divine  mercy,  and  God  took  it  away 
from  you  ;  ye  have  been  rebellious  against  the 
Divine  compassion,  and  God  has  ceased  to  bestow 
it  upon  you.  The  earth  was  broad  for  you  and 
not  narrow  for  you,  either  in  condition  or  riches, 
but  now  there  is  no  place  or  locality  for  you; 
seeing  ye  have  opposed  the  One  to  whom  belongs 
the  great  and  high  dominion,  and  have  become 
subservient  unto  a  decaying  image,  and  your  in- 
tentions are  bent  upon  the  destruction  of  the 
holy,  favorite  people,  who  are  the  guardians  of 
the  children  of  the  prophets  of  God,  and  of  His 
apostles.  Who  did  sware  unto  them  b}'  His 
Name — mighty  and  glorious — that  He  would  ap- 
portion unto  them  this  territory,  and  now  this 
Lord — blessed  be  He  and  exalted — says  unto  His 
people,  that  He  will  guard  them  as  a  man  guards 
his  eye.  O  ones  whose  hearts  God  has  obscured 
and  whose  understanding  He  has  bewildered  and 
whose  spirits  He  has  extinguished  and  the  light 
of  whose  eyes  He  has  darkened,!  Have  ye  not 
heard  what  happened  through  our  friends  unto 
your  friends,  when  our  ancestor  Ibrahim,  el- 
Khalil — peace  be  upon  him — marched  against 
3rour  friends,  and  in  his  company  there  were  only 
three  hundred  and  eighteen  men  ;  yet  he  did  de- 
stroy of  them  five  kings,  the  like  of  which  was 
never  heard  of.  nor  did  their  flight  cease  short  of 
Dimashq  (Damascus)  ? 5  Have  ye  not  heard 
5  Gen.  xiv. 


80         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

what  befell  the  people  of  Misr,  and  what  signs 
and  wonders  God — may  He  be  exalted — showed, 
because  of  their  abusive  revilings  ?  Have  ye  not 
heard  how  my  comrade  did  kill  the  Nil  with  his 
rod,  and  crush  the  sea  by  his  prayer,  and  stop 
the  water  through  the  reverence  and  respect 
which  he  inspired,  and  turn  back  the  Divine 
wrath  by  his  intercession,  and  cause  the  Divine 
compassion  to  descend  by  his  words,  and  put  to 
rout  armies  with  his  hand,  and  how  the  earth 
swallowed  up  those  who  opposed  him  ?  Have  ye 
not  heard  what  happened  unto  us  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  what  befell  Sihun  and  his  kingdom, 
and  'Ug  and  his  pride,  and  Bila'am  and  his  sor- 
cery, and  the  kings  of  Midyan  and  their  host, 
and  the  kings  of  esh-Sham  and  their  pomp  ? 
Have  ye  not  heard  what  happened  unto  us  at  the 
Urdun,  and  what  happened  unto  us  with  the 
kings  who  joined  in  a  confederation  and  assem- 
bled together  to  attack  us  ?  Have  ye  not  heard 
how  I  called  upon  my  Lord  to  prolong  the  da}^, 
and  the  day  did  return  after  its  setting,  and  the 
day  stood  still  for  me  like  as  if  it  had  been  a 
whole  year?  And  it  will  thus  stand  still  for  me 
a  second  time  during  your  destruction.  I  do  not 
boast  that  I  am  a  giant,  or  the  disciple  of  a  giant, 
or  the  child  of  a  giant.  I  boast  that  I  am  the 
disciple  of  Kalimu'1-lah,  the  mortal  and  spiritual; 
and  a  child  of  Khalilu'1-lah,  the  foundation  of  the 
prophets  and  the  top  branch  of  the  pious;  I  boast 
in  the  myriads  of  the  holy  who  march  around  my 
army.  I  am  no  giant,  but  the  Lord  of  the  giants 
is  with  me ;  and  yet  my  stature  from  the  ground 
up  is  five  royal  cubits.  I  do  not  dress  in  armor 
even,  and  in  coats  of  mail  and  helmets ;  but  my 
clothing  is  tunics  of  dark  blue  and  purple  and 
variegated  crimson,  and  the  royal  crown  is  on  my 
head  with  the  name  of  my  Lord  inscribed  upon 
the   crown.     I   ride   upon   a  white    colt   whose 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        81 

saddle-cloth  is  of  purple  and  its  saddle  of  pure 
gold:  these  are  my  distingtushing  characteristics 
and  these  are  my  boastings.  Aided  by  the  pro- 
phets, surrounded  by  the  holy,  the  Lord  of  crea- 
tion is  my  armament,  and  His  angels  my  triumph, 
and  His  omnipotent  power  my  reliance.  And 
He  is  the  beholder  of  your  affairs  as  well  as  the 
affairs  of  me  and  my  people.  We  believe  in  no 
lord  but  Him,  and  no  king  besides  Him  :  and  He 
is  our  sufficiency  and  excellent  Protector. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  WHAT  HAPPENED  BEFORE 
THE  DEPARTURE  OF  THE  MESSENGER  FROM 
yush'a  THE  KING. 

When  the  children  of  Israil  heard  this  address 
and  this  reply,  bowing  down,  they  prostrated 
themselves  before  God,  and  spake,  saying :  "  How 
adorable  is  He  who  has  guided  thee  !  How  ador- 
able is  He  who  has  enlightened  thy  heart !  How 
adorable  is  He  who  has  illuminated  the  light  of 
thy  intellect !  How  adorable  is  He  who  has 
sanctified  thy  spirit!  How  adorable  is  He  who 
has  ennobled  thy  sonl!  How  adorable  is  He! 
Thou  hast  consoled  our  souls  and  hast  strength- 
ened our  hearts ;  Thou  has  nerved  our  loins,  Thou 
hast  lifted  up  our  heads,  Thou  hast  exalted  our 
renown,  Thou  hast  spread  abroad  our  glory,  yea 
our  friends  do  exalt,  for  Thou  hast  destroyed  our 
enemies  and  hast  annihilated  their  host.  And 
now  we  are  swift  and  zealous  subjects  in  Thy  pre- 
sence, ready  to  go  unto  the  horizon  of  the  seas  and 
to  the  abyss  of  darkness  and  unto  the  burnings  of 
fire.  And  this  is  the  approval  and  opinion  we 
express  to  our  master  the  king,  and  let  him  carry 
it  out  by  transmitting  this  letter ;  fur  in   it  lies 

6 


82        THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

the  destruction  of  our  enemies  and  their  ruin, 
and  the  breaking  up  of  their  hearts  and  their 
purposes,  through  the  power  of  God  and  His 
omnipotent  might/'  And  the  king  gave  im- 
mediate directions  that  they  should  make  known 
to  him  the  list  of  the  enumeration  of  those  who 
had  been  chosen  from  the  army,  and  that  they 
make  proclamation  for  them  to  mount  at  once. 
And  scarce  an  hour  passed  before  three  hundred 
thousand  men  had  mounted,  every  one  of  whom 
was  renowned  for  manly  qualities  and  skill,  chosen 
men  they  were,  the  like  of  whom  or  better  rank  and 
file  than  theirs  had  ever  been  seen.  And  the  offi- 
cers returned  and  said  unto  him  :  "  O  our  master 
and  our  lord,  there  have  assembled  for  thee  three 
hundred  thousand  chosen  men,  and  if  thou  wert 
to  command  that  there  should  be  chosen  as 
many  more  as  they,  we  would  be  prompt  to  do 
the  same,  for  in  our  lists  there  are  other  three 
hundred  thousand  men,  but  they  are  separated 
from  us,  and  the  mustering  of  them  will  be  ac- 
complished in  the  course  of  a  week."  And 
Yush'a  the  king  answered  them,  saying :  "  If  He 
would  destroy  our  enemies  with  six  hundred 
thousand  men,  He  is  able  to  destroy  them  with 
three  hundred  thousand  men."  And  he  com- 
manded that  the  messenger  should  be  brought, 
for  he  knew  that  he  was  possessed  of  sagacity  ; 
and  he  re-read  the  letter  to  the  multitude  in  his 
presence.  Thereupon  he  said  unto  him  :  "  Look 
at  and  behold  what  I  have  collected  unto  me 
me  in  one  single  hour,  with  regard  to  whom  I  do 
not  need  to  bother  myself  about  their  provisions, 
or  look  after  their  condition,  and  in  three  days 
there  will  gather  unto  me  a  number  equal  to  them, 
through  the  power  of  God  and  His  omnipotent 
might ;  so  now  make  known  to  thy  companions 
what  thou  hast  witnessed  of  the  affairs  of  God — 
Mighty  and  Powerful — even  the  power  of  His 


THE  SAM  ABIT  AN  BOOK  OF  JOSUUA.        83 

people.  And  lo  !  I  am  about  to  march  right  on 
the  tracks  of  my  letter,  with  the  help  of  God 
and  his  power  and  strength." 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  RETURN  OF  THE  MES- 
SENGER, AND  WHAT  HE  DID  WHEN  HE 
REACHED    THEM    (i.  E.  THE    ENEMIES). 

When  the  messenger  had  heard  the  king,  and 
his  speech,  and  the  reading  of  the  letter  and  its 
words,  and  .perceived  the  discipline  of  the  army 
and  its  staunch  condition,  he  took  the  letter  and 
immediately  started  out  on  his  journey,  with 
head  down-cast  and  heart  rent  asunder  and  color 
changed  and  eyes  weeping.  And  when  he  arrived 
at  the  army  of  the  enemy,  he  found  them  assem- 
bled together  in  el-Qaimun.  And  when  he  beheld 
them  he  wept  with  great  weeping  and  cried 
with  a  loud  voice,  and  said  to  them  :  "  O  woe 
unto  me  for  you,  and  sad  am  I  for  your  sakes. 
Whither  are  ye  marching?  Is  it  unto  the  sea  of 
darkness  ? *  Unto  him  who  does  not  listen  to  a 
word  of  yours,  nor  sends  back  peace  to  you? 
Unto  those  before  whom  ye  are  as  scattered 
dust?  With  them  ye  have  "no  stability  or  dur- 
ability or  permanency  ;  every  affair  of  theirs  is 
in  earnest,  no  jesting  or  secret  backbiting  exists 
among  them.  Therefore  give  attention  unto  the 
reply  to  the  letter,  that  ye  may  know  that  God 
is  over  all  things,  powerful,  ere  I  explain  unto 
you  what  I  have  witnessed,  and  inform  you  of 
what  I  have  beheld  ;  for  if  I  should  continue 
for  one  year  explaining  and  expounding  about 
Him,  I  should  not  make  known  His  substance 
or  make  known  any  of  His  attributes." 
1  Note  63. 


84         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  READING  OF  THE  LETTER, 
AND  WHAT  THE  ENEMY  DID  WHEN  IT  WAS 
READ. 

He  then  took  the  letter  and  read  it  unto  the 
company  of  the  kings.  Now  the  inscription  writ- 
ten upon  it  was : 

"  To  the  company  of  reprobates,  rebels,  liber- 
tines, infidels  ;  the  calumniating,  rebellious,  pol- 
luted and  cowardly  people ;  the  filthy,  self- 
disgraced,  whose  destruction  is  near  at  hand,  and 
whose  ruin  is  just  impending: 

"  From  the  excellent,  the  faithful,  the  associ- 
ates of  purity,  light,  glory,  firmness  and  victory, 
and  possessed  of  authority  and  influence,  the 
celebrated,  far-famed,  set-apart,  chosen,  protected 
by  God,  assisted  unto  victory  by  His  power, 
sheltered  under  His  mercy  and  compassion ; 
and  He  is  their  sufficiency,  and  upon  Him  is 
their  reliance." 

Upon  the  reading  of  this  inscription  they 
wept  until  their  eyes  flowed  blood,  then  they 
opened  the  letter,  and  a  man  read  it  in  a  plain- 
tive voice,  while  they  began  beating  their  faces 
and  wailing  over  themselves  to  greatest  excess, 
until  they  had  finished  its  reading.  And  the 
letter  was  not  completed  before  their  inwards 
were  attenuated,  and  their  heads  bent  down,  and 
their  hearts  broken,  and  their  tears  poured  out 
and  their  intellects  bewildered ;  and  they  were 
neither  able  to  arise  from  their  places  nor  rest 
in  quiet  in  them,  for  dementia  and  perturbation 
had  seized  them.  Then  they  cried  out  while 
weeping,  and  said :  "  Woe  unto  us  and  unto 
our  children,  we  have  destroyed  ourselves,  we 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.       85 

have  brought  about  the  violation  of  our  women, 
we  have  waked  up  the  sleeping  lioness,  we  have 
stirred  up  the  crouching  lion,  we  have  let  loose 
the  elephant  that  was  tied,  we  have  roused 
the  bull  that  was  tethered."  And  now  their 
tongues  jabbered  on  in  their  mouths,  stuttering 
exceedingly  as  if  tongue-tied,  and  they  neither 
understood  what  they  said,  nor  what  was  said 
to  them  ;  yea,  they  were  deaf,  they  were  dum- 
founded,  they  were  stunned,  they  were  bewil- 
dered, the  hair  of  their  heads  stood  on  end  and 
they  tore  their  garments.  Then  there  came  un- 
to them  the  sheikh  of  the  magicians,  and  with 
him  was  the  mother  of  Shaubak,  the  son  of 
Hamam,  who  was  skilled  in  magic  and  who  wor- 
shipped the  great  luminary  and  the  seven  stars, 
and  along  with  her  was  a  crowd  of  the  magicians 
and  wizards  and  conjurers,  and  these  calmed 
them,  saying  unto  them :  "  O  ye  who  turn 
back !  ye  have  wrecked  your  army  before  ye 
have  seen  the  enemy,  and  ye  have  killed  your- 
selves before  your  time ;  not  thus  should  the 
leaders  of  the  army  do  among  the  flock,  ye  have 
unnerved  the  men  with  fear,  ye  have  slaughtered 
them  without  a  sword  being  used.  Sit  ye  down 
with  us  and  listen  with  reason  unto  what  we 
say,  and  bring  hither  the  messenger  whom  ye 
sent,  and  consider  what  he  shall  describe  unto 
you."  So  they  brought  the  messenger,  and  he 
began  to  describe  the  king  (Yush'a),  and  the 
feeling  of  awe  that  he  carried  away  from  him, 
and  he  described  the  army  tribe  by  tribe,  and  the 
Divine  ordinances  which  he  had  witnessed,  and 
the  grand  condition  of  affairs  which  he  had  beheld. 
Then  the  messenger  said  to  them  :  "  O  assem- 
bled men,  accept  my  counsel,  and  do  not  yield 
yourselves  unto  any  other ;  for  I  have  seen  what 
ye  have  not  seen,  therefore  know  what  shall 
overtake  you  by  surprise,  for  after  three   days 


86         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

will  come  the  hasty  rush  and  flight,  and  the 
abandonment  of  our  baggage,  and  the  saving  of 
ourselves  and  our  possessions ;  for,  verily,  he 
(Yush'a,)  is  a  magnificent  commander,  he  is  not 
to  be  held  as  contemptible  and  insignificant; 
and  against  this  people  neither  sorcery  nor 
stratagem  is  possible.  Every  god  whom  ye  wor- 
ship and  serve  will  flee  away  from  before  their 
God  whom  they  worship.  Have  ye  not  heard 
what  happened  unto  our  master  and  chief  Bila- 
'am?  "  Thereupon  the  band  of  magicians  went 
apart  by  themselves  and  the  mother  of  Shaubak 
with  them,  and  they  agreed  in  opinion  that  they 
would  work  out  for  them  his  (Yusha's)  dis- 
comfiture, so  as  that  he  should  not  come  unto 
them.  And  they  commenced  operations  and 
built  their  altars  and  offered  up  their  sacrifices, 
and  they  were  answered  in  that  which  they  re- 
quested, and  they  sat  down  in  order  that  they 
might  deliver  their  mandate  with  power  and 
force.  But  God  delayed  this  unto  them,  accord- 
ing as  He  willed.  Blessed  be  He  and  exalted, 
for  the  consummation  which  He  brought  about. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  ACCOUNT   OF   THE  SETTING  OUT  OF  YUSH'A 
THE  KING  UPON  HIS  EXPEDITION. 

When  Yush'a  the  king  desired  to  start  out  on 
the  journey,  he  met  with  the  saint  of  God,  el- 
'Azar  the  imam — peace  be  upon  him, — and  said 
unto  him  :  "  Go  forth,  invoke  a  blessing  upon 
thy  people  and  bless  them,  and  when  we  have 
proceeded  on  our  journey  continue  repeating  it, 
and  do  not  cease  standing  before  thy  Lord- 
humbly  beseeching  Him,  until  thou  nearest 
tidings  of  us."     And  el-'Azar,  the  imam,  went 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSIIUA.        87 

forth  to  the  tabernacle  and  blessed  the  people, 
and  invoked  a  blessing  upon  them,  and  then  he 
proceeded  to  bid  farewell  to  the  king,  and  to 
weep,  while  the  priests  invoked  upon  him  safety 
and  success  and  prosperity  and  good-fortune. 
Then  he  commanded  the  Liwanites  to  make  pro- 
clamation throughout  the  army,  in  accordance 
with  what  our  master  Miisa,  the  Prophet — the 
most  excellent  peace  be  upon  him, — had  enjoined 
upon  them  in  the  Holy  Law  at  the  command  of 
God,  where  he  says:  "  When  ye  go  out  in  bat- 
tle against  your  enemies,  and  see  horses  and  foot- 
men, and  a  people  more  than  ye,  be  not  afraid 
of  them ;  for  God  thy  God  is  with  thee,  which 
brought  thee  up  out  of  the  land  of  Misr  " — and 
so  on  to  the  end  of  the  chapter.1  And  this  hav- 
ing been  executed,  at  the  close  of  the  proclama- 
tion, Finahas  (Phinehas),  the  son  of  the  imam — 
peace  be  upon  him,  his  cousin,  sounded  on  the 
two  trumpets  of  clamor,2  and  the  congregation 
of  the  children  of  Israil  shouted  with  one  voice, 
and  the  angels  in  heaven  and  on  earth  did  trem- 
ble  by  reason  of  their  shout.  And  having  knelt 
and  bowed  down,  they  then  mounted  and  journey- 
ed forward  until  they  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of 
el-Lejjun.3 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE    ACCOUNT    OF     WHAT    HAPPENED    TO    THE 
CHILDREN  OF  ISRAIL  IN  THIS  PLACE. 

When  the  children  of  Israil  arrived  at  el- 
Lejjun,  before  they  were  aware  of  it,  Yush'a  and 
those  who  were  with  him  had  got  inside  of  seven 
walls  of  iron,  and  the  device  of  the  magicians 
against  them  was  consummated,  in  order  that  the 
decree  of  God — may  He  be  exalted — might  be 
1  Dent  xx.  2  Note  64.  3  Note  65. 


88         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

accomplished,  with  regard  to  exalting  the  renown 
of  Nabih,  the  king  of  the  two  and  a  half  tribes, 
who  was  beyond  the  Urdun  ;  for  not  a  thing  of 
this  work  had  been  effected,  but  for  the  sole 
purpose  that  the  renown  of  Nabih  might  be 
glorified,  and  his  name  spread  abroad.  And  one 
object  of  this  was,  that  if  the  giants  were  put  to 
rout  they  would  cross  over  with  them,  and,  while 
they  were  fatigued,  follow  hard  after  them  ;  and 
it  was  in  their  purpose  so  (to  do).  And  another 
object  of  this  was,  to  show  up  the  result  of  the 
counsel  of  the  deities  of  the  giants  ;  for  Fin  alms 
alone  did  blow  on  the  trumpet  and  dissolved  every 
perplexing  machination  which  the  magicians  had 
wrought.  And  another  object  of  it  wras,  that  the 
embarrassment  of  king  Yush'a  might  continue 
until  the  souls  of  the  giants  had  become  strong 
and  their  hearts  elated  and  they  settled  down  at 
ease ;  that  the  army  of  Nabih  might  cross  over 
from  the  east :  then  would  the  magic  from  the 
west  be  dissolved,  and  the  army  issue  forth  and 
close  upon  the  enemy  from  all  directions,  until 
not  one  of  them  should  escape  safe. 

Now  this  war  was  the  last  war  that  Yush'&  the 
king  witnessed ;  for  the  time  of  his  death  had 
drawn  near.  And  we  will  recount  what  happen- 
ed, so  that  even  a  hearer  shall  be  as  if  he  had 
been  a  witness  of  it ;  and  he  will  be  astonished  at 
this  great  stratagem,  and  will  praise  Him  who  is 
powerful  over  all  circumstances  and  spirits. 
Blessed  and  exalted  and  glorious  be  He  above 
all  that  the  ignorant  heathen  mention.  Mighty 
be  his  name ;  and  He  it  is  from  whom  help  is  to 
be  sought,  and  in  whom  trust  is  to  be  placed. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        89 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  HOW  GOD  FACILITATED  THE 
ESCAPE  OF  THE  CHILDREN  OF  ISRAIL  FROM 
THE  MAGICIANS. 

When  Yiish'a  beheld  what  had  come  to  pass 
unto  him,  he  remained  in  great  perplexity  and 
exceeding  fear,  and  began  to  desire  of  his  Lord 
that  a  dove  might  alight  upon  him  from  the 
doves  of  Nabih  his  cousin ;  and  he  had  not 
finished  expressing  his  desire  before  the  dove 
alighted  in  the  room,  and  he  praised  God — 
Mighty  and  Powerful :  then  he  looked  at  it  and 
knew  that  deliverance  was  certain.  And  he 
commenced  and  wrote  a  letter  unto  Nabih,  his 
cousin,  which  I  am  about  to  make  mention  of, 
by  the  will  of  God  and  His  assistance. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

A  STATEMENT  OF  A  COPY  OF  THE  LETTER. 

"  I  write  unto  thee,  O  my  cousin — may  God 
protect  thee  and  take  care  of  thee,  while  I  am 
sad  of  heart,  weak  in  strength,  with  weeping 
eyes,  humbled  in  soul,  on  the  very  verge  of 
destruction,  and  three  hundred  thousand  men 
along  with  me ;  for  the  stratagem  of  the  mag- 
icians has  been  accomplished  upon  us,  and  I  and 
my  people  are  imprisoned  and  perplexed  inside 
seven  walls  of  iron,  and  in  front  of  us  are  thirty- 
six  kings  in  complete  joy  and  universal  exulta- 
tion, while  we  are  in  sadness  and  weeping  and 
fear  thereby.     And   now  such  an  affair  as  this 


90        THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

had  not  been  effectuated  against  us,  except  only 
that  there  might  be  accomplished  what  God — 
may  He  be  exalted — desires  with  reference  to 
the  exaltation  of  thy  renown,  and  the  spreading 
abroad  of  thy  authority  ;  and  God,  God  is  the 
One,  O  my  cousin,  Who  makes  weak  and  makes 
strong.  And  truly  thou  knowest  what  cove- 
nants and  compacts  exist  between  me  and  thee, 
so  rise  up  immediately  and  do  not  sleep ;  and 
if  thou  art  asleep,  awake:  and  if  thou  art  awake, 
sit  up;  and  if  thou  art  sitting,  stand  up ;  and  if 
thou  art  standing,  walk ;  and  if  thou  art  walking, 
run ;  for  I  and  the  company  of  thy  brethren, 
who  are  looking  for  deliverance  from  God — 
exalted  be  He — and  thee,  are  imprisoned  inside 
seven  walls  of  iron  at  el-Lejjun,  and  the  host 
of  the  enemies  are  in  el-Qaimun :  so  let  not 
slackness  nor  rest  nor  laziness  nor  hesitation 
overtake  thee,  but  outstrip  the  blowing  winds 
and  make  manifest  that  by  which  thou  shalt  be 
remembered  unto  the  end  of  the  gliding  ages,  by 
the  will  of  God  and  His  assistance."  And  when 
Yush'a  had  finished  folding  the  letter,  the  dove 
did  not  wait  until  it  had  been  tied  on  to  its 
wings,  but  snatched  it  in  its  bill  and  napped  its 
wings  and  soared  aloft. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

THE   ACCOUNT    OF    NABIH    AND   WHAT  HE   DID. 

Now  Nabih  was  sitting  upon  his  judgment 
throne,  his  waist  girded  up  and  on  him  a  green 
robe  and  a  green  turban,  and  he  was  engaged  in 
looking  into  the  judicial  affairs  when  the  dove 
threw  the  note  into  the  room,  and  he  opened  it 
and  read  it,  and  his  eyes  gushed  forth  with  tears 
and  he  cried  aloud,  at  which  the  court  became 


THE  SAMARITAN    HOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        91 

agitated.  And  lie  himself  then  cried  out  at  the 
top  of  his  voice  :  "  Assembly  of  my  brothers  and 
my  cousins  and  my  comrades !  follow  me,  and 
reach  your  brethren  ;  for  they  are  imprisoned 
by  magic  inside  seven  walls  of  iron  at  el-Lejjun. 
Assembly  of  men  !  haste  !  haste  ! !  "  And  they 
that  were  around  him  shouted  out  with  a  mighty 
shout,  the  sound  of  which  was  heard  unto  the 
horizon  of  heaven  and  to  the  regions  of  the 
earth,  which  were  their  assigned  lands.  And 
now  the  shout  increased  and  voices  were  inter- 
mingled, and  there  mustered  immediately,  as 
though  they  had  been  for  a  long  time  and  period 
prepared  and  equipt,  six  thousand  men  whose 
garments  were  white  and  their  horses  red,  and 
six  thousand  men  whose  garments  were  red  and 
their  horses  white,  and  six  thousand  men  whose 
garments  were  green  and  their  horses  black,  and 
six  thousand  men  whose  garments  were  black 
and  their  horses  piebald ;  not  to  mention  the 
variously  colored  and  renowned  ones  who  were 
many  and  without  number.  And  the  women 
and  children  joined  in  rendering  aid.  And  there 
went  forth  of  the  men  an  innumerable  mul- 
titude ;  and  Nabih  went  forth,  riding  upon  a 
celebrated  colt  that  was  spotted  like  a  leopard 
and  was  fleet  as  the  winds,  and  behind  him  was 
his  army  and  he  was  saying  :  "  Fire  !  Fire  ! !  no 
rest  and  no  repose !  "*  And  the  shout  rose  up 
on  high,  and  a  wonderful  warning  presented 
itself  in  the  sky,  so  that  the  birds  dropped  down 
one  after  another  and  fled  away  from  the  great 
wind  into  the  desert,  and  wild  animals  did  not 
remain  quiet  in  their  dens,  and  from  these  was 
witnessed  (an  omen)  the  like  of  which  had  never 
been  beheld  in  the  past.  And  when  Nabih  drew 
near  to  the  great  meadow,2  he  halted  until  his 
army  had  collected  together.     And  it  came  to 

1  Note  66.  2  Note  67. 


92         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

pass  that  the  mother  of  Shaubak  went  up  to  a 
lookout  she  had  in  el-Qaimun  to  worship  the 
great  luminary  according  to  her  custom,  and 
when  she  beheld  the  luminous  star — that  is  to 
say  Nabih — rising  up  out  of  the  east,  she  made 
haste  to  descend  unto  her  son,  and  she  said  to 
him  :  "  Lo  !  a  luminous  moon  is  rising  up  out  of 
the  east,  and  about  him  are  brilliant  stars — 
meaning  Nabih  and  his  soldiers  ;  and  if  he  be  of 
our  enemies,  O  woe  unto  thee  and  woe  unto  me ; 
but  if  he  be  for  our  assistance,  then  it  is  well 
with  thee  and  well  with  me."  And  he  became 
enraged  at  her  because  she  had  hastened  unto 
him  with  woe,  and  he  killed  her — may  God 
have  no  mercy  on  her.  And  he  put  on  his 
armor  and  took  his  bow  and  arrows  studded 
with  pearls  and  corals,  and  then  made  procla- 
mation throughout  his  army  and  advanced  alone 
against  Nabih ;  and  when  he  drew  near  to  him 
and  beheld  him,  he  said  unto  him :  "  O  Nabih, 
what  is  the  matter  with  thee  that  thou  bark- 
est?"  3  And  he  answered  him:  "Yes,  my  name 
is  Nabih,  the  son  of  Gil' ad  the  son  of  Makir  the 
son  of  Manashsheh  the  son  of  Yusaf  to  whom  was 
given  the  kingdom  of  Y'aqub  the  son  of  Ishaq  the 
son  of  Ibrahim  who  killed  the  kings  of  esh-Sham; 
and  my  lord  has  sent  me  to  anathematize  thee 
and  destroy  thee,  and  as  my  father  killed  thy 
father  so  will  his  (my  father's)  son  kill  his  (thy 
father's)  son :  and  now,  O  thou  anathematized  ! 
O  thou  unclean  one  !  who  art  thou  ?  "  And  he 
said  to  him  :  "  I  am  Shaubak,  the  son  of  Hamam 
the  son  of  Fut  (Phut),  the  son  of  Ham,  the  son 
of  Nuh  whom  God  did  bless  at  the  time  he  came 
out  of  the  ark.  Stand  for  me  until  I  shoot  first, 
and  then  I  next  will  receive  (thy  shot)."  And 
Nabih  said  unto  him  :  "  Of  God  I  ask  assistance, 
because  thou  shalt  shoot  first  and  kill  first.  Let 
8  Note  68. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        93 

drive,  O  anathematized,  O,  unclean  one  !  "  So 
he  (Shaubak)  let  drive  at  him  with  the  first  ar- 
row :  now  he  was — God  curse  him — a  man  shoot- 
ing with  determination  and  confidence  who  never 
missed  the  mark.  But  Nabih  dodged  his  head, 
and  it  passed  by  him  and  did  not  hit  him. 
Thereupon  he  shot  at  him  a  second  arrow;  but 
Nabih  lifted  himself  in  the  air,  and  it  passed  be- 
tween him  and  his  saddle.  And  he  shot  a  third 
arrow  ;  and  he  (Nabih)  countered  it  with  his 
right  hand.  And  Shaubak  the  son  of  Hamam 
began  to  desire  to  flee  away,  and  Nabih  said  unto 
him  :  "  Whither  dost  thou  flee,  O  anathematized, 
O  unclean  one  ?  I  have  received  from  thee  three 
witnesses  (of  thy  skill),  now  receive  of  its  kind 
one  witness  from  me  :  take  this  from  my  right 
hand  which  God  has  blessed — and  to  Him  be- 
longs the  mighty  power."  Then  Nabih  shot  it, 
and  the  arrow  rose  up  to  heaven  and  reversing 
came  down  into  the  head  of  the  man,  and  pene- 
trated to  his  belly  and  to  the  belly  of  his  horse, 
and  plunged  into  the  earth  to  a  depth  of  five 
royal  cubits,  which  is  twelve  cubits  according  to 
this  cubit,  and  in  that  place  immediately  a  foun- 
tain gushed  forth,  which  is  called  'Ain  en-Nush- 
shabeh  (the  Fountain  of  the  Arrow)  unto  this 
time.  And  when  the  children  of  Israil  witnessed 
this  miracle,  they  shouted  out  in  honor  of  God — 
Glorious  and  Mighty — saying  :  "  There  is  no 
power  or  might  except  in  God."  And  when 
Yush'a  and  they  who  were  imprisoned  with  him 
heard  them,  God  made  a  revelation  unto  him, 
saying  :  "  Speak  unto  the  priests  that  they  sound 
with  the  two  trumpets."  And  when  they  had 
done  so,  the  walls  crumbled  and  fell  down ;  and 
the  army  closed  in  upon  the  enemies,  and  the 
trumpets  of  the  angels  were  heard  from  heaven. 
And  Yush'a  said  to  the  day  :  "  Stand  still  for 
me,"  and  it  stood  still  :  and  to  the  winds :  "  As- 


94         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

sist  me,"  and  they  assisted  him.  And  while  the 
enemies  were  hurling  from  the  east,  the  west 
wind  was  returning  each  missile  unto  its  hurler,4 
and  thus  was  it  also  from  all  quarters.  And  as 
to  the  man  who  had  the  thunderbolt  with  him, 
when  he  hurled  it,  it  leaped  back  upon  the  ene- 
mies and  killed  of  them  one  thousand  men ;  and 
the  sword  continued  doing  its  work  among  the 
rest  of  them,  until  the  horses  plunged  in  blood 
up  to  their  nostrils.5  Then  said  Yush'a  to  his 
people  :  "  This  day  has  annihilated  the  power  of 
the  confederates  and  of  the  allies  of  the  confed- 
erates. All  the  children  of  Israil  should  offer 
praises  and  halleluiahs  to  the  King  of  kings  and 
Lord  of  lords,  who  has  rescued  them  and  pre- 
served them,  and  protected  them,  and  delivered 
them,  and  uprooted  their  enemies."  And  the 
king  was  offering  praise,  and  saying :  "  God  is 
the  one  who  acts  as  the  Hero  for  us  in  the  wars, 
God  is  His  name."  And  the  children  of  Israil 
followed  him,  while  all  of  them  were  saying : 
"  Who  is  like  unto  Thee,  perfect  in  holiness  ? 
O,  One  who  dost  inspire  terror  !  O  Revealer  of 
secret  things  !  O  Doer  of  wonders  !  O  One 
who  dost  protect  His  servants  and  those  who 
love  Him,  in  every  place  wherein  they  dwell ! " 
Now,  this  is  one  of  the  paragraphs  of  our  master 
Musa  the  Prophet — peace  be  upon  him,  in  his 
hymn  of  praise  at  the  sea.6  And  Yush'a  more- 
over said  :  "  God  shall  fight  for  you,  and  ye  shall 
hold  your  peace."  And  this  also  is  one  of  the 
sayings  of  Musa  the  Prophet — peace  be  upon 
him.7*  And  they  lodged  on  the  field  of  battle 
and  rested  that  night ;  and  they  ceased  not  to 
commemorate  God  the  whole  night  long,  with 
hymns  of  praise  and  halleluiahs,  until  the  rising 
of  the  sun,  secure  from  any  attack,  amid  great 
noise  and  merriment  and  gladness  and  booty; 
4  Note  69.      5  Note  70.      6  Exodus  xv.      7  Exodus  xiv  :  14. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        95 

now  that  their  enemies  were  destroyed  and  the 
remembrance  of  them  blotted  out.  And  God  is 
the  Victor,  the  Protector,  the  Guardian,  and  He 
is  our  sufficiency  and  illustrious  Protector. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

AN  ACCOUNT   OF  WHAT  WAS  DONE  DURING  THE 
DAYS  OF  DIVINE  FAVOR. 

Now  the  length  of  this  period  was  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty  years.  And  the  well  ordered 
arrangement  of  the  days  of  Divine  favor  existed 
during  the  days  of  Yush'a  the  king,  and  after 
him  until  the  termination  of  this  period  ;  as  lam 
about  to  mention  and  set  forth.  And  they  (the 
children  of  Israil)  continued  keeping  the  Sab- 
baths and  the  solemn  assemblies — I  mean,  the 
new  moons  and  the  feasts,  and  from  the  era  of 
the  king  they  continued  giving  the  land  rest, 
one  year  in  every  seven  years  ;  in  this  year  there 
was  neither  sowing  nor  cultivation,  but  yet 
every  one  had  what  was  needed.  And  the 
children  of  Israil  were  delivering  over  to  the 
Liwanites  the  tenth  of  all  that  came  to  them, 
and  what  they  possessed  of  every  seed-sow- 
ing and  fruit,  and  animal  and  other  things. 
And  the  Liwanite  was  delivering  over  the 
tenth  of  this  unto  the  high  priest.  And  the 
children  of  Israil  had  another  tenth,  which 
before  God  they  were  disposing  of,  for  themselves 
and  for  the  imams  and  the  infirm.  And  when 
they  planted  in  the  ground  a  new  plant,  its  fruit 
was  not  eaten,  except  when  in  the  fourth  year 
the  imam  ate  of  it,  and  then  in  the  fifth  it  be- 
came released  and  made  free  to  every  one.  And 
the  Hebrew  slave  who  had  served  seven  years 
was  emancipated,  and  dominion   over  him  was 


96         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

taken  away.  And  when  an  Israelite,  driven  by- 
want,  sold  his  child  and  himself,  there  was  always 
to  him  a  right  of  ransom,  and  his  account  was 
settled,  with  reference  to  his  years  of  service  to 
come,  on  a  basis  of  wages.  And  if  there  was  not 
found  for  the  Hebrew  slave  either  a  near  or  distant 
relative  who  would  ransom  him,  he  was  set  free 
in  the  year  of  jubilee ;  and  so  likewise  was  it 
with  their  lands  which  had  been  sold.  And 
there  was  in  every  seven  years  a  division  of  the 
land  among  the  tribes,  with  reference  to  overplus 
and  deficiency.  And  they  always  had  chiefs 
whose  duty  it  was  to  write  up  the  calendars  and 
keep  a  record  of  the  things  which  were  brought 
to  the  treasury.  And  the  firstlings  of  animals 
and  seeds  and  fruits  were  carried  unto  the  min- 
ister ;  and  not  a  single  ram  or  sheep  or  ox  was 
sacrificed  except  upon  the  altar  on  the  Blessed 
Mount,  unless  it  was  defective  and  was  of  the 
seven  species,  such  as,  the  deer  and  the  roebuck 
and  the  buffalo  and  the  gazelle  and  the  antelope 
and  the  giraffe.  And  they  had  judges  who  gave 
decisions  for  .them,  as  to  the  commands  and  pro- 
hibitions (to  be  observed)  at  all  times,  so  that 
they  might  keep  them  with  right  observance. 
And  no  one  of  them  was  able  to  commit  an 
abomination,  such  as  infidelity  and  other  things 
of  magic,  but  that  it  was  brought  to  light,  and 
the  doer  of  the  shameful  thing,  before  he  was 
aware  would  be  apprehended,  even  though  he 
was  in  the  most  remote  parts  of  the  assigned  lands, 
for  this  was  revealed  by  the  jewels  which  were 
on  the  minister.1  And  this  minister  would 
make  a  woman  drink  of  the  water  of  the  temple, 
when  her  husband  had  suspicions  against  her  ; 
and  if  she  had  indeed  been  unfaithful  to  him  and 
had  become  defiled  with  some  one  else,  he  would 
curse  her ;  for  if  she  was  innocent  in  this  regard, 
1  Note  5 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        97 

then  she  would  return  unharmed;  but  if  she 
was  guilty  she  was  detected  and  immediately 
destroyed.  And  likewise  it  was  that,  no  one  did 
kill  an  innocent  person,  but  that  his  murderer 
was  made  known  by  circumstances  which  were 
brought  about,  and  the  truth  came  to  light. 
And  there  were  transgressions  and  shortcom- 
mings  and  brutal  deeds  which  the  slaves  did 
without  due  consideration,  these  did  the  min- 
ister, the  imam,  assume  upon  himself  on  every 
fast  day,  which  is  the  tenth  day  of  the  seventh 
month  wherein  expiation  is  made  for  souls  and 
spirits,  such  as  for  the  raising  of  leavened  bread 
during  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread.  And 
there  were  orders  of  the  Liwanites,  some  of  them 
wrote  the  Law,  and  some  of  them  wrote  hymns 
of  praise  and  the  genealogies,  and  some  of  them 
watched  over  the  treasury  of  the  children  of 
Israil ;  and  some  of  them  had  charge  over  the 
constant,  perpetual  burnt  offering,  and  the  con- 
tinual ceremony  in  the  temple  ;  and  some  of  them 
had  charge  over  the  anointing  ointment,  and  the 
aromatic  incense,  and  the  perfume  of  the  sacri- 
fice, and  the  flour  and  the  oil,  and  the  candle- 
sticks ;  and  some  of  them  had  charge  over  the 
vessels  of  the  temple  and  their  arrangement,  and 
the  duty  of  looking  after  their  condition  ;  and 
some  of  them  selected  the  animals  (for  sacrifice) 
out  from  the  doubtful  ones ;  and  some  of  them 
did  the  sacrificing ;  and  some  of  them  sprinkled 
the  blood  upon  the  altar  ;  and  others  of  them 
did  place  in  position  the  victims  ;  yea,  every 
company  was  organized  for  its  special  official 
work,  and  did  not  leave  what  had  been  pre- 
scribed unto  it.  And  the  continual  burnt  offer- 
ing was  offered  up  before  the  rising  of  the  sun 
and  after  the  going  down  of  the  same  ;  and  at 
the  time  when  the  blood  of  the  burnt-offering 
was  shed  upon  the  altar,  the  priests  sounded  the 
7 


98         THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

trumpet  on  the  summit  of  the  Blessed  Mount, 
and  then  the  imams  sounded  in  every  district, 
and  it  was  but  the  wink  of  an  eye  before  all  the 
children  of  Israil  knew  that  the  sacrifices  had 
been  offered  up  on  the  altar,  and  they  rose  up  to 
pray  ;  and  the  prayer  was  accepted,  and  the  bless- 
ings were  simultaneously  bestowed,  and  Grace 
was  full  and  Mercy  all  embracing ;  yea,  circum- 
stances were  well  ordered,  and  affairs  were 
known  and  understood  through  the  Divine  light 
and  auspicious  favor  ;  for  the  union  between 
them  and  their  Lord  was  close.  Now  this  is  an 
epitome  of  the  whole.  And  the  children  of 
Israil  were  continually  addressing  and  consult- 
ing God,  who  guides  with  His  mercy.  And  He 
is  our  sufficiency  and  illustrious  Protector. 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  DURATION  OF  THE  DAYS 
OF  DIVINE  FAVOR,  UP  TO  THE  TIME  OF  THE 
BEGINNING  OF  ERROR. 

Yush'a  the  son  of  Nun,  reigned  forty-five 
years,  1  and  at  the  approach  of  his  death,  he 
assembled  the  children  of  Israil  and  put  them 
under  a  covenant  and  bound  them  to  an  ob- 
ligation that  they  would  carefully  keep  what 
the  Prophet  Musa  —  peace  be  upon  him  — 
had  enrolled,  and  he  then  offered  up  for  him- 
self and  for  them  the  sacrifices,  and  bid  them 
farewell ;  for  he  did  closely  what  our  master 
Musa  the  Prophet — peace  be  upon  him, — did, 
when  he  bid  farewell.  And  he  selected  twelve 
chiefs  from  the  congregation  of  the  nine  and  a 
half  tribes,  and  when  he  had  tested  them  as  to 
their  knowledge  and  aptitude  for  administration, 
1  Note  71. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.        99 

he  cast  lots  over  them  in  the  presence  of  the 
congregation  of  the  children  of  Israil,  at  Merj 
el-Baha  (Meadow  of  Beauty)  2;  and  the  lot  of 
king  fell  upon  a  man  whose  name  was  Abil,  the 
son  of  the  brother  of  Kalab,3  of  the  Judaic 
tribe.  And  he  invested  him  with  the  royal 
authority  and  jurisdiction,  and  placed  on  him  the 
crown,  and  had  proclamation  made  throughout 
the  congregation  that  they  should  be  obedient 
to  his  commands.  And  lie  commanded  him  to 
be  obedient  unto  the  minister  of  God,  and  allow 
him  an  inspection  into  all  his  circumstances,  and 
not  to  carry  out  a  matter  before  that  he  had 
made  it  known  to  him,  And  Yush'a,  the  son  of 
Nun — peace  be  upon  him,  died,  and  they  buried 
him  in  Kefr  Ghuweirah4  ;  and  Kalab  his  com- 
rade died,  and  they  buried  him  near  him.  And 
this  new  king  entered  upon  administrating  the 
government  of  the  people,  and  lie  walked  with 
them  in  perfect  ways.  And  the  report  of  the 
death  of  Yush'a  reached  the  king  Mab,  and  he 
sent  and  collected  troops,  and  advanced  against 
his  territory  ;  and  this  king  (Abil)  mustered  his 
people,  and  God  assisted  him  to  gain  the  victory 
over  them,  and  awe  of  him  fell  upon  the  remainder 
of  his  enemies,  and  lie  conquered  territories  and 
added  them  unto  the  assigned  lands.  And  he 
reigned  nine  years,  and  then  died.  And  after 
him,  Tarfi'a  of  the  tribe  of  Afrim  (Ephraim)  5 
was  appointed  successor,  and  when  he  was  in- 
vested with  the  kingship,  the  king  of  'Amman 
(Ammon)  marched  against  him  ;  but  God  as- 
sisted him  to  gain  the  victory  over  him,  and  he 
continued  in  rule  during  the  period  that  God 
had  decreed  to  him,  and  then  he  died.  There- 
upon after  him,  up  to  the  end  of  the  space  of 
time,  which  has  been  previously  mentioned — and 
it  is  two  hundred  and  sixty  years,  there  were 
2  Note  72.    3  Note  73.      4  Note  74.    5  Note  75. 


100       THE  SAMAhlTAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

nine  kings  appointed  to  the  office,  who  succeeded 
one  another  from  all  the  tribes,  and  continued 
in  their  ruling  two  hundred  and  fifteen  years ; 
for  Yush'a  the  son  of  Nun  had  reigned  for  the 
rest  of  the  years.  And  the  last  of  them  was 
Shamsham  (Samson)  the  king,  who  was  unique 
among  them  :  no  one  was  seen  as  handsome  as 
he,  and  who  obtained  greater  victories  over  their 
enemies.  Yet  nevertheless,  strength  and  beauty 
and  success  and  perfection  shall  be  adjudged  unto 
those  who  follow  after  them  in  the  footsteps  of 
those  who  have  preceded  them,  and  who  act  in 
accordance  with  their  deeds,  and  offer  sacrifices 
similar  to  their  sacrifices. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

THE  HISTOEY  OF  THE  VICEGERENTS  OF  THE  LORD, 
AND  OF  THE  MINISTERS  OF  THE  DAYS  OF  DI- 
VINE FAVOR,  DURING  THE  PRECEDING  PERIOD 
THAT    HAS   BEEN  MENTIONED. 

When  the  death  of  el-'Azar,  the  imam — 
peace  be  upon  him, — drew  near,  he  did  as  Yush'& 
the  son  of  Nun  had  done,  and  collected  the  lead- 
ers of  the  children  of  Israil,  and  put  them  under 
a  covenant  and  bound  them  to  an  obligation  of 
obedience,  and  bid  them  farewell,  and  then  bid 
the  temple  farewell,  and  worshipped  his  Lord  ; 
and  when  he  came  walking  out,  the  holy  odors 
were  fragrant  on  the  borders  of  his  garments. 
And  having  gone  to  Kefr  Ghuweirah,  he  stripped 
off  the  holy  garments  which  were  on  him,  and 
placed  them  upon  his  son  Fin  alias — peace  be 
upon  him — and  he  died  and  was  buried  in  Kefr 
Ghuweirah  ;  and  all  the  children  of  Israil  wept 
for  him,  after  the  custom  of  their  fathers.  And 
after  him  his  son  was  installed,  and   he  did   as 


THE  SAMABITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.      101 

his  father  had  done.  And  when  his  death  ap- 
proached, he  also  bound  them  to  a  covenant,  and 
offered  up  the  sacrifices,  and  bid  farewell  ;  and, 
having  gone  to  Kefr  Ghuweirah,  stripped  off  the 
holy  garments  which  were  on  him,  and  jout  them 
upon  the  one  of  his  offspring  who  was  to  succeed 
him,  and  then  lie  died  and  was  buried  in  that 
place.1  And  after  him  there  were  installed  five 
ministers  for  the  Lord,  and  they  served  Him  with 
acceptable  service,  and  did  as  they  who  had  gone 
before  them  had  done,  even  up  to  the  period  that 
has  been  mentioned  ;  and  its  days  were  well 
managed,  adorned  with  the  Light  and  with  ce- 
lestial and  terrestrial  happiness,  up  to  the  in- 
stalment of  'Uzi,  the  last  of  the  vicegerents  of 
the  Lord  2  in  the  days  of  Divine  favor,  and  he  was 
a  young  man.  And  the  king  of  that  time  died, 
and  another  king  was  not  appointed.  Now  the 
number  of  the  years  of  the  earth,  from  the  time 
of  Adam  up  to  this  time,  was  three  thousand  and 
fifty-four  years.  And  there  were  gathered  unto 
them,  before  the  death  of  Shams  ham,  a  great 
multitude,  so  that  if  it  was  spread  over  the  earth 
it  would  have  filled  the  world,  by  reason  of  the 
abundance  with  which  God  had  blessed  them, 
and  multiplied  their  possessions.  But  now  there 
came  to  pass  that  which  Musa,  the  Prophet — 
peace  be  upon  him, — had  spoken  of  in  the  address 
that  he  delivered  ;  "  Y'aqub  shall  eat,  and  be 
satisfied  ;  Israil  shall  wax  fat ;  "  and  let  it  be 
looked  up  to  the  end  of  the  chapter  in  that  great 
song.  3  For  then  they  did  go  astray  from  the 
way  which  he  had  prescribed  unto  them,  that 
they  should  keep  to  and  do.  And  the  Omnipo- 
tent is  our  sufficiency  ;  the  Most  Glorious,  the 
One  who  is  slow  to  chastise  the  rebellious. 
1  Note  76.  3  Deut.  xxxii.  2  Note  77. 


102      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  BEGINNING  OF  ERROR 
AFTER  THE  DEATH  OF  SHAMSHAM,  THE  KING 
OF  THAT  TIME. 

Now  he  was  the  ruling  judge  over  the  children 
of  IsrH.il,  and  took  great  revenge  upon  the  na- 
tions, and  destroj'ed  a  multitude  of  them.  And 
when  they  were  informed  of  his  death,  they  as- 
sembled and  bound  themselves  together  by  oath, 
and  great  zeal  took  possession  of  them.  And 
when  they  read  in  the  books  of  Bila'am,  that 
these  people  could  never  be  destroyed  except  by 
unbelief  and  pollution,  they  began  to  have 
recourse  to  devices  to  obtain  a  knowledge  of  how 
to  work  magic,  and  they  did  not  leave  a  place, 
however  remote  in  distance,  which  was  pres- 
cribed for  this  profession,  but  that  they  sent 
messengers  in  search  of  it  ;  and  they  obtained 
therefrom  an  ample  share  of  the  appearance  of 
miracles,  the  like  of  which  dupe  the  common 
people.  And  they  sent  some  of  the  learned  doc- 
tors from  among  their  companions,  and  with  them 
this  knowledge  ;  and  they  arrived  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  house  of  God.  Now  there  was  at 
this  time  no  king  administering  the  government, 
nor  saint  overlooking  the  holy  matters.  And  the 
doctors  entered  into  dealings  with  a  company  of 
the  children  of  Israil  who  were  people  of  pride, 
and  expounded  unto  them  the  secret  doctrine, 
and  instructed  for  them  one  hundred  men  of  the 
people,  and  wrought  it  out  through  their  agency. 
And  they  inaugurated  this  audacious  procedure 
and  action,  on  a  hill  to  the  south  of  the  Blessed 
i  Note  78. 


TEE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.     103 

Mount,  and  the  place,  from  the  sum  of  their  num- 
ber, received  the  name  el-Miat.  Thereupon  they 
set  to  building  up  the  place  and  offering  sacri- 
fices to  idols,  which  effect  no  profit  either  in  the 
present  or  in  the  future.  Then  the  company 
removed,  through  fear  of  the  children  of  Isiail,  to 
the  west  of  the  Blessed  Mount;  and  on  their 
going,  their  like  followed  after  them,  and  they 
settled  in  a  village  on  the  slope  of  a  mountain, 
and  the  place,  from  the  number  of  their  com- 
pany, received  the  name  el-Miatai,  and  in  it  they 
resided  a  brief  time.  Thereupon  the}T  removed 
from  it  ;  for  they  had  multiplied  in  numbers  and 
increased  and  branched  out,  and  the  place,  on 
account  of  their  great  number,  received  the  name 
Fer'ata.  2  And  God  did  not  manifest  His  re- 
buke nor  anger,  until  the  affair  of  these  infidels 
had  reached  unto  all  the  leaders  of  the  children 
of  Israil,  throughout  all  their  assigned  lands. 
And  when  they  became  careless  and  negligent 
about  rising  up  against  them,  and  had  turned 
aside  and  become  polluted  ;  for  some  of  them 
were  overcome  with  cowardice  and  laziness,  and 
others  of  them  were  engrossed,  each  one  in  his 
own  possessions  and  wealth  and  riches  and  pride, 
and  supposed  that  poverty  would  not  overtake 
him  though  he  might  over-ride  the  world  ;  and 
others  of  them  were  jealous,  and  the  greater  part 
of  their  will  was  bent  towards  waywardness. 
And  the  saints  of  God  were  overcome  with  blind- 
ness and  confusion  and  cowardice  ;  for  envy  was 
rife  in  the  tribe  of  Finahas,  and  discord  reigned 
among  them.  Now  when  these  infamous  deeds 
and  brutal  affairs  were  carried  out,  the  angels 
shrunk  away  from  them,  and  the  Creator  became 
angry  at  them  and  took  away  1 1  is  presence  from 
them,  and  from  the  Blessed  Mount  ;  and  the 
light  which  had  shone  forth   in  the    temple    de- 

2  Note  79. 


104      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

parted,  and  the  Divine  fire  which  had  not  been 
separated  from  the  offerings  upon  the  two  altars 
was  taken  away  ;  and  decline  was  perfected  in 
them,  and  disaster  came  upon  them  ;  for  their 
sight  was  blinded.  And  we  take  refuge  in  God 
from  misfortune,  and  of  Him — mighty  be  His 
name — do  we  ask  assistance. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  HOW  THE  BEGINNING  OF  ERROR 
WAS  STOPPED  AMONG  THE  PEOPLE. 

When  it  was  the  morning  of  the  second  day 
(of  the  week),  the  first  (day)  of  the  year  361  of 
the  reign  of  Divine  favor— which  day  is  known 
for  greatest  calamity  and  mightiest  disaster 
and  long  lasting  sorrow  and  wide-spread  grief, 
which  is  like  unto  the  day  on  which  our  father 
Adam  was  expelled  from  the  garden,  even  the 
day  in  which  was  announced  his  death  and  the 
death  of  his  seed — 'Ozi,  the  imam,  the  saint  of 
God  whose  greatness  was  spoiled  and  whose 
glory  was  ruined  and  whose  holiness  was  de- 
stroyed and  whose  light  was  extinguished,  passed, 
in  the  morning  of  this  day  —  the  calamities  of 
which  have  been  mentioned  —  to  the  temple, 
and  lifted  up  the  veil  of  the  inner  holy  house, 
and  he  beheld  none  of  the  signs  of  Divine  favor. 
And  he  looked,  and  lo  !  dense  darkness,  and  a 
black  cloud  spread  abroad  within  the  house,  and 
he  remained  performing  alternate  service  during 
the  third  day  and  the  fourth  ;  and  when  it  was 
the  morning  of  the  fifth  day,  he  looked  at  this 
.darkness,  and  lo !  it  had  spread  and  enveloped 
the  foundations  of  the  house  ;  and  then  he  knew 
that  God — Mighty  and  Powerful — had  become 

1  Note  80. 


THE  SAMARITAN  HOOK  OF  JOSHUA.      105 

angry  at  them,  and  bad  taken  away  the  light  of 
His  omnipotence  and  mercy  and  compassion  from 
the  place  and  from  the  children  of  Israil.  And 
he  began  to  gather  up  the  vestments  of  the 
temple  and  the  vessels  of  gold  and  silver,  which 
had  been  made  from  the  days  of  the  Prophet — 
peace  be  upon  him, — and  went  out  from  the 
tabernacle.  And  God  revealed  unto  him,  in  the 
Blessed  Mount  an  open  cave,  which  no  one  had 
beheld  in  thatplace  before  that  day,  and  he  took 
all  that  he  found  in  the  temple  and  placed  them 
in  that  cave.  And  when  he  came  out  of  it  he 
wrote  upon  its  mouth  an  inscription  in  his  own 
handwriting,  and  made  a  list  of  what  he  had 
placed  in  it,  and  distinguished  it  with  signs  ; 
them  he  turned  to  look  again,  and  could  find 
neither  cave  nor  sign  nor  writing.2  Thereupon 
he  lifted  up  his  voice  in  weeping  and  wailing  and 
lamentation,  and  there  gathered  unto  him  the 
company  of  the  Liwanites,  and  the  twelve  chiefs 
who  acted  with  him,  and  likewise  the  seventy 
wise  men,  and  they  made  inquiry  of  him  as  to 
his  weeping  and  crying,  and  he  informed  them  of 
what  had  been  revealed  unto  him.  And  when  he 
explained  unto  them  about  the  Divine  wrath  and 
what  was  befalling  them  and  their  people,  they 
rent  their  garments  and  beat  their  faces  and  bowed 
down  their  heads,  and  assembled  their  company 
and  began  enumerating  what  things  God — 
Might}'  and  Powerful  —  had  bountifully  be- 
stowed upon  them,  and  what  they  now  beheld 
of  punishment  and  banishment  and  sorrow  and 
calamity,  and  they  did  say :  "  Woe  unto  us  and 
to  our  children  after  us,  and  how  great  is  the 
exultation  of  the  enemies  over  our  misfortune  ! 
How  great  is  the  joy  of  the  confederates  over 
thee,  O  Israil  !  thy  guardian  is  taken  away,  and 
who  will  now  look  after  thee  ?  Thy  prop  is  taken 
2  Note  81. 


106      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

away,  and  who  will  now  support  thee  ?  Thy  king 
is  taken  away,  and  who  will  now  help  thee  ? 
Thy  power  is  taken  away,  and  who  will  now 
strengthen  thee  ?  The  Compassionate  has  become 
angry  at  thee,  and  who  will  now  show  pity  ? 
Signs  were  shown  for  thy  sake,  Misr  was  devas- 
tated for  thee,  the  Divine  power  appeared  in  thy 
behalf,  the  sea  was  divided  that  thou  mightest 
cross,  Fir'aum  and  his  people  perished  that  thou 
mightest  be  preserved,  manna  descended  for  thy 
sustenance,  bitter  water  became  sweet  to  satisfy 
thy  thirst,  the  voice  of  the  Creator  was  heard 
for  thy  instruction,  the  rock  brought  forth  water 
to  test  thee,  'Amlaq  was  put  to  route  at  thy 
desire,  the  Creator  let  the  Divine  power  dwell 
round  about  thee  for  thy  protection,  and  His 
name  alighted  upon  thee  that  thy  enemies  might 
have  fear  of  thee.  He  placed  the  pillar  of  cloud 
as  a  sign  of  His  tender  compassion  for  thee.  He 
closed  up  the  two  mountains  of  the  valley  el- 
Mujib  (Arnon),3  that  thou  mightest  pass  over 
safel}*.  He  destroyed  Sihun  and  'Ug,  that  thou 
mightest  inherit  their  cities  and  possessions.  He 
struck  with  terror  the  kings  of  'Amman  and 
Mab  and  Mid}ran,  that  thou  mightest  plunder 
their  cattle.  He  stopped  the  water  of  the 
Urdun,  that  He  might  display  thy  power  and 
make  prominent  thy  glory  and  exalt  thy 
fame.  He  killed  the  seven  tyrant  kings,  that 
He  might  give  to  thee  their  land  and  their  cities, 
and  their  kingdom.  He  gave  over  to  destruction 
those  who  assembled  together  for  thy  slaughter. 
He  extirpated  Shaubak  the  son  of  Hamam,  and 
those  kings  who  were  assembled  with  him  to 
slay  thee.  He  commanded  the  heavens  and  the 
earth  to  guard  thee  and  protect  thee.  He  re- 
moved the  calamities  of  the  skies  and  stars  from 
thee  and  from  thy  country.  He  surrounded 
3  Note  46. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.      107 

thee  with  the  greatest  prosperity  and  the  largest 
blessing.  He  assigned  unto  thee  the  most  ex- 
alted places,  and  the  most  glorious  of  which  is 
the  Gate  of  Paradise.4  He  gave  unto  thee  a 
kingdom  in  which  no  one  boasteth  besides  thy- 
self. He  bestowed  abundantly  upon  thee  His 
grace,  the  like  of  which  was  never  heard  of  in 
former  ages.  He  assisted  thee  with  His  angels, 
and  His  omnipotence.  He  enveloped  thee  with 
His  mercy,  and  surrounded  thee  with  His  com- 
passion. He  took  thee  into  His  keeping  with 
joy  on  His  part,  and  took  thee  under  His  protec- 
tion among  His  own.  But  thou  hast  forsaken 
His  worship,  and  renounced  belief  in  His  name, 
which  should  be  exalted,  and  thou  hast  wor- 
shipped one  that  has  not  the  power  to  remove 
calamnity  even  from  himself.  Ye  have  not  re- 
garded those  who  became  infidel,  and  your  Lord 
has  disregarded  you.  Thou  didrst  cover  up  from 
him,  and  He  has  covered  up  His  face  from  you. 
Our  master  Musa,  the  Prophet — the  most  ex- 
cellent, peace  be  upon  him — led  you  aright,  but 
ye  did  not  believe  him.  He  informed  you,  but 
ye  hearkened  not  unto  him.  He  instructed  you, 
but  ye  obeyed  him  not.  Yush'a,  his  disciple, 
made  covenant  with  you,  but  ye  sported  with 
him.  Whither  does  your  flight  tend  ?  Whom 
will  ye  find  as  a  refuge  for  3-ourselves  ?  From 
whence  will  ye  find  help  for  yourselves  ?  Who 
will  rescue  }rou  from  your  enemies  ?  Ye  supposed 
that  your  victory  resulted  from  the  multitude  of 
men,  when,  lo,  the  victory  was  the  result  of  good 
behavior.  Where  are  those  who  know  our 
leaders  ?  Where  is  the  one  to  whom  our  hearts 
plight  faith  ?  Where  is  the  one  who  has  pity  on 
our  infants?  Where  is  the  one  who  hears  our 
voices  ?  Where  is  the  one  who  makes  atone- 
ment for  our  sins  and  transgressions  ?     Where  is 

4  Note  82. 


108      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

the  one  who  makes  manifest  our  power?  Where 
is  the  one  who  renders  our  glory  conspicuous 
here  ?  "  And  they  now  felt  remorse  where  re- 
morse profited  them  nothing,  while  their  weep- 
ing became  great  and  their  lamentations  violent. 
Thereupon  the}'  took  vows  upon  themselves  that 
they  would  commemorate  this  sorrow,  on  the 
second  and  fifth  days  (of  the  week)  always,  until 
the  favor  of  God — glorious  be  His  might — ■ 
should  return  unto  them.  And  He  is  the  one 
who  knows  when  it  will  return ;  and  we  pvay 
Him  to  remove  His  anger,  and  let  fall  the  veil  of 
His  protection  over  us,  through  His  greatness 
and  compassion.  Lo,  He  is  a  hearer  and  answerer 
(of  prayer). 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  ERRING  MAN  WHO  WAS  EN- 
VIOUS OF  THE  DESCENDANT  OF  FIN  AH  AS  THE 
IMAM — PEACE  BE  UPON  HIM. 

Discord  had  arisen  between  the  descendant  of 
Finahas  ('Ozi)  and  his  cousin  Hi  (Eli),  whose 
name  being  interpreted  means ;  the  insidious. 
This  erring  man  was  of  the  tribe  of  Itamar 
(Ithamar)  the  brother  of  el-'Azar  the  imam.1 
Now  the  right  of  administration  belonged  to  the 
tribe  of  Finahas,  and  it  was  the  one  which  was 
offering  up  the  sacrifices  upon  the  brazen  altar, 
and  stone  altar.  And  this  man — the  insidious — 
was  fifty  years  old,  and  being  great  in  riches  had 
obtained  for  himself  the  lordship  over  the  treas- 
ure house  of  the  children  of  Israil ;  and  he  had 
obtained,  through  the  knowledge  of  magic,  what 
he  had  acquired  of  riches,  proud  rank  and  wealth. 
And  his  self-importance  being  great  in  his  own 
i  Note  83. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.      109 

estimation,  lie  gathered  to  himself  a  company,  and 
said  unto  them  :  "I  am  one  to  whom  to  serve  a 
boy  is  impossible,  and  I  will  not  reconcile  myself 
to  this,  and  I  hope  that  ye  will  not  be  content  to 
have  me  do  this. "2  And  the  company  answered 
him  :  "We  are  under  thy  command,  and  under 
obedience  to  thee :  command  us  in  whatsoever 
thou  wiliest."  And  he  put  them  under  covenant 
that  they  would  follow  him  unto  the  place  where 
they  purposed  going  on  the  morning  of  the 
second  day  (of  the  week).  And  he  offered  up 
offering  on  the  altar  without  salt,3  as  if  he  was 
ignorant,  and  immediately  started  out  on  the 
journey  with  his  outfit  and  company,  and  cattle, 
and  every  thing  that  he  possessed,  and  settled  in 
Seilun  (Shiloh).  And  he  gathered  the  children 
of  Israil  into  a  schismatical  sect,  and  held  corre- 
spondence with  their  leaders,  and  said  unto  them : 
"  Whoever  desires  to  behold  miracles,  let  him 
come  unto  me."  And  there  was  collected  to  him 
a  multitude  in  Seilun,  and  he  built  for  himself 
a  shrine  there,  and  organized  matters  for  himself 
in  it  on  the  model  of  the  temple,4  and  erected  in 
it  one  altar,5  on  which  he  might  sacrifice  and 
offer  up  offerings.  And  he  had  two  sons,  who 
used  to  gather  the  women  into  the  temple  in  the 
morning,  and  lie  with  them,  and  would  eat  up 
all  that  was  present  of  the  offerings  of  wine, 
and  other  things.  Moreover  he  commanded  the 
men  that  they  should  salute  him  before  theyr 
offered  their  offerings.  And  this  man  continued 
diverting  the  people  by  magic,  for  the  space  of 
forty  years  ;  for  God — exalted,  exalted  be  He  ; 
glorious  be  His  might — delayed  this  unto  him. 
And  there  was  Sliamul  (Samuel)  of  the  tribe  of 
Harun,  the  Liwanite,6  the  magician  and  the  in- 
fidel ;  for  his  father  had  delivered  him  over  to 
him  (Eli)  when  he  was  four  years  old,  saying 
2^ote  84.      3Xote  85.    4  Xote  s<>.    5  Note  87.      6Note  88. 


110      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

unto  him  :  "  This  is  a  son  whom  I  have  received 
in  fulfilment  of  a  desire,7  and  it  occurred  sud- 
denly to  my  mind  that  this  boy  ought  to  serve 
in  this  temple  throughout  the  days  of  his  life." 
So  the  erring  man  received  him,  and  instructed 
him,  and  revealed  unto  him  hidden  things ;  and 
he  grew  to  be  as  potent  in  the  working  of  magic 
as  he  himself  was.  And  blessed  be  God  who 
does  not  punish  the  rebellious,  except  after  long 
delay  and  showing  mercy  unto  them. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

THE  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  CAUSE  OF  THE  DESTRUC- 
TION OF  THIS  ERRING  MAN,  AND  OF  HIS  SONS 
AND  COMPANY. 

When  the  nations  heard  of  the  schism  among 
the  children  of  Israil,  there  gathered  together  of 
them  a  multitude  of  those  who  were  inhabiting 
^ufa  (Joppa)  and  Ludd  (Lod,  Lydda)  and  Beit 
Jibril1  and  Ghuzzeh  (Gaza)  and  other  places, 
and  they  carried  out  the  plan  of  making  an  at- 
tack upon  the  company  that  was  in  Seilun.  And 
the  army  of  the  erring  man  went  forth  to  meet 
them,  but  it  was  overthrown  and  put  to  rout, 
and  there  were  killed  of  his  companions  four 
thousand  men.  And  the  troops  returned  to  their 
friends,  and  said  unto  him  (Eli)  :  "  Forsooth 
the  cause  of  our  rout  is,  that  the  ark  of  gold  was 
not  with  us ; "  so  he  delivered  unto  them  the 
ark,  and  sent  forth  his  two  sons  with  them,  and 
the  flower  of  his  army,  in  place  of  the  first 
(army).  Now  they  of  the  nations  who  had  as- 
sembled had  arranged  an  ambush,  and  upon  the 
sallying  forth  of  his  army,  the  army  of  the  nations 
closed  in  upon  them,  and  the  sword  did  its  work 
7  Note  89.  1  Note  90. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.      HI 

among  them  ;  and  the  ark  was  taken,  and  the 
two  sons  were  slain.  And  one  of  those  that  had 
escaped  safe,  stained  his  garments  with  their 
blood,  and  came  to  their  father,  while  he  was 
sitting  upon  his  seat,  and  said  to  him :  "  Disas- 
trous news  for  thee  ;  for  thy  two  sons  are  killed, 
and  my  garments  are  even  stained  with  their 
blood,  and  the  ark  of  gold  has  been  taken,  and 
the  sword  has  annihilated  thy  people."  And 
when  he  heard  tidings  such  as  this,  he  threw  him- 
self backwards  off  his  seat,  and  his  neck  was 
broken,  and  he  died.  And  when  his  daughter- 
in-law  heard  of  this  calamity —now  she  was  big 
with  child — the  pains  of  childbirth  grew  violent 
in  her,  and  she  died.  And  so  this  man  received 
reward  for  his  action  in  this  world,  and  he  shall 
also  be  brought  to  account  in  the  next.  Blessed 
be  He,  whom  no  affair  escapes,  and  from  whom 
nothing  is  hidden.     Blessed  be  He  and  exalted. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  BOKHTONASSAR  (NEBUCHAD- 
NEZZAR), THE  KING  OF  EL-MAUSIL  (MOSUL), 
WHICH  IS  FOUND  IN  THE  BOOKS  OF  THE  CHRON- 
ICLES OF  HIS  DEEDS. 

He  was  one  of  the  kings  of  the  Persians,  who 
had  conquered  the  countries  and  subdued  the 
people,  and  the  kings  obeyed  him.  And  he  re- 
stored the  authority  of  all  the  kings  of  esh-Sham, 
and  they  went  to  the  king  of  el-Quds  (Jerusa- 
lem), and  entered  into  agreement  with  him  that 
they  would  come  under  the  rule  of  Bokhtonas- 
sar,  and  become  submissive  to  his  decrees.  And 
they  continued  so  twelve  years  ;  but  when  it  was 
the  thirteenth  year,  they  broke  the  compact  and 
revolted,  and  he  pardoned  them.     And  when  he 


112      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

warned  them,  and  they  were  not  affected  with 
fear,  he  marched  against  them  in  the  fourteenth 
year,  and  destroyed  whomsoever  of  them  he  met. 
And  he  directed  his  march  toward  el-Quds,  and 
besieged  it  till  he  captured  it,  and  he  killed  in 
it  with  great  slaughter,  and  took  its  king  and 
put  out  his  eyes  and  sent  him  to  Beit-A  .  .  ,x 
and  burned  all  the  buildings  and  the  edifice 
which  Sulaiman  (Solomon)  the  son  of  Dawid 
(David)  had  constructed.  Then  he  turned  aside 
towards  our  country — that  is  this  country — and 
made  proclamation  therein,  that :  tw  Whosoever 
was  found  remaining  in  it  after  seven  days,  the 
shedding  of  his  blood  would  be  permissible." 
Thereupon  he  took  to  goading  the  people  and 
driving  them  out  unto  every  country,  and  brought 
people  from  el-Furs  (Persia)  and  settled  them  in 
this  country,  the  home  of  the  children  of  Israil, 
who  now  got  to  the  most  remote  parts  of  the 
world,  scattered  and  dispersed  throughout  the 
regions  east  and  west.  And  the  word  of  the 
Holy  Law  came  true  :  "  And  God  shall  scatter 
thee  among  all  people,  from  the  one  end  of  the 
earth  even  unto  the  other  end  of  the  earth."2 
And  after  a  certain  time  had  passed  by,  let- 
ters were  brought  back  from  the  Persians  who 
were  dwelling  in  their  (the  children  of  Israil's) 
territory  in  esh-Sham,  regarding  the  earth's 
refusing  her  crops  and  fruits ;  for  when  the  fruit 
promised  well  the  destroying  blight  would  waste 
it.3  And  the  letters  in  regard  to  this  reached 
the  king,  and  he  had  the  leaders  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israil  brought  before  him,  and  made 
inquiry  of  them  about  this  state  of  affairs,  and 
they  said  :  "  The  cause  of  this  is  our  removal, 
and  the  abandonment  in  it  of  the  service 
of  our  Lord;  and  we  do  praise  God  for  its 
disorder,  so  that  we  may  return  unto  it  and  serve 
1  Note  91.    2  Deut.  xxviii :  64.     3  Note  92. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.      113 

our  Lord  upon  the  Holy  Mount,  and  offer  up 
offerings  as  He  commanded  us  in  His  Book,  by 
the  hand  of  His  Prophet — peace  be  upon  him. 
And  the  king  replied  to  them:  "  Go  and  build 
the  house  of  thy  Lord  and  offer  up  the  offerings, 
and  serve  your  Lord  as  was  your  custom,  and  I 
will  assist  you."  And  they  said  to  him  :  "  Give 
unto  us  a  writing  by  thy  own  hand  unto  all  our 
brethren,  who  are  scattered  abroad  throughout 
all  the  regions  ;  for  we  cannot  return  except  we 
all  go  together."  And  the  king  gave  them  a 
writing  of  his  hand,  permitting  them  to  journey 
to  esh-Sham.  And  they  departed  from  his  pres- 
ence, glad  and  rejoicing  for  what  God  had  kindly 
bestowed  upon  them.  And  the  imam  and  the 
king  sent  letters  to  every  place,  saying  :  "  Know 
that  the  king — may  God  make  him  powerful — 
has  granted  us  permission  to  go  up  to  the  holy 
place  and  build  it  up,  and  offer  up  the  offerings 
upon  it  with  the  service  that  is  acceptable.  And 
now  it  is  necessary  that  ye  make  haste,  you  and 
your  harem  and  your  children  and  all  that  ye 
possess,  that  we  may  assemble  and  go,  and  carry 
out  the  orders  which  he  has  commanded  unto  us, 
concerning  the  service  of  our  Lord — Mighty  and 
Powerful."  And  the  people  all  came  together, 
and  the  offspring  of  Yehudah  (Judah)  said  to 
them:  "We  will  unite  all  of  us  and  go  to  el- 
Quds,  and  build  it  up,  and  we  will  be  one  word 
and  one  soul."  But  the  offspring  of  Harun 
(Aaron)  and  Yusaf  (Joseph)*  said  to  them : 
"  No,  but,  on  the  contrary,  we  will  go  up  to  the 
Mount  of  Blessing,  and  build  up  the  holy  place, 
and  we  will  be  one  soul  and  one  word."  And 
they  persisted  in  the  dispute,  until  it  became 
necessary  that  they  should  come  together  into 
the  presence  of  the  king.  And  he  decided  in 
favor  of  them  (the  descendants  of  Aaron  and 
*  I.  e.  the  priests  and  the  Samaritans. 

8 


114      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

Joseph)  after  this  manner :  the  children  of  Is- 
rael, the  friends  of  the  Blessed  Mount,  assembled 
with  the  book  of  Musa,  the  Prophet — peace  be 
upon  him — and  relied  upon  what  it  said  in  desig- 
nating the  Blessed  Mount,  and  no  place  else,  as 
the  proper  place  ;  and  the  offspring  of  Yehudah 
assembled,  relying  upon  what  certain  books  writ- 
ten after  the  days  of  Musa,  the  Prophet — peace 
be  upon  him — designated  with  reference  to  Beit 
el-Muqaddas  (Jerusalem)  being  the  place.  And 
the  books  were  brought  and  read  in  the  presence 
of  the  king  ;  and  when  he  had  carefully  consid- 
ered this  matter,  he  saw  that  the  intention  of  all 
was  the  Blessed  Mount.  But  Zorobabil  (Ze- 
rubbabel)  answered  and  said  unto  him :  "  O 
king,  the  book  which  I  have  furnishes  me  with 
arguments  in  favor  of  Beit  el-Muqaddas,  and  the 
offering  up  of  offerings  therein  ;  wouldst  thou 
then  compel  me  to  go  up  and  offer  up  offerings 
upon  the  Blessed  Mount?  "  And  Sanballat  the 
Liwanite4  answered  him,  saying  unto  the  king  : 
"  The  books  which  Zorobabil  has  are  a  lie  and  a 
fraud.5  Permit  me  to  throw  them  into  the  fire  ; 
and  this,  my  book,  if  he  is  able,  let  him  take  it 
and  throw  it."  And  the  king  gave  permission 
unto  Sanballat  to  throw  the  books  of  Zorobabil 
into  the  fire,  and  he  did  this,  and  they  were 
burned  up.  Thereupon  he  gave  permission  unto 
Zorobabil  to  throw  the  book  of  Sanballat,  and  he 
took  it  and  opened  it,  but  abstained  from  throw- 
ing it,  and  said :  "  My  books  are  mine  alone, 
but  the  Holy  Book  belongs  both  to  him  and  to 
me."  And  the  king  answered,  saying  unto  Zo- 
rob&bil :  "  I  see  that  thy  books  are  false  ;  why 
didst  thou  abstain  from  throwing  his  book?" 
Thereupon,  he  (Zorobabil)  feared  lest  he  be  put 
to  death,  and  he  took  the  Law  and  cast  it  into 
the  fire  ;  and  it  jumped  out  of  it.  And  he  asked 
4  Note  93.  5  Note  94. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.      115 

permission  of  him  to  throw  it  in  a  second  time ; 
and  it  was  not  affected  by  the  fire  in  the  least. 
Thereupon,  he  humbled  himself  before  the  king, 
beseeching  him  that  he  might  throw  the  book  a 
third  time  ;  and  he  granted  him  permission,  and 
he  took  it  and  spat  upon  a  paragraph  of  it,  and 
then  cast  it  into  the  fire,  and  the  place  which  had 
been  spit  upon  burned,  and  then  it  sprang  out 
into  the  bosom  of  the  king.  And  the  king  im- 
mediately became  angry  at  the  children  of  Ye- 
lmdah,  and  put  to  death  immediately  of  them 
thirty-six  souls  of  those  who  were  present.  But 
Sanballat,  he  and  his  company,  obtained  great 
honor  with  the  king ;  for  the  king  gave  him  gifts 
and  presents  and  chain  necklaces  and  bracelets, 
and  invested  him  with  the  silk  robe  of  honor, 
and  promoted  their  leaders,  and  sent  them  away 
with  the  whole  multitude  of  Israil  who  returned 
from  the  first  exile,  and  their  number  was  three 
hundred  thousand  men.  And  thereupon  they 
followed  the  true  religion,  after  having  been  un- 
believing; and  pursued  right  guidance,  after 
having  wandered  into  error.  And  God  accepted 
them  and  broke  the  chains  of  their  captivity, 
through  the  mercy  He  had  for  them  and  the 
compassion  He  felt,  and  the  remembrance  He 
bad  for  the  covenant  with  Ibrahim  and  Ishaq 
and  Y'aqub — peace  be  upon  them.  And  the 
king  sent  unto  all  the  Persians  who  had  taken 
up  residence  in  their  assigned  land,  and  removed 
them  from  it  to  their  own  country ;  and  the 
people  (of  Israil)  entered  into  their  assigned 
land,  which  is  their  holy  place.  And  they  made 
the  sacred  apparatus  similar  unto  that  which  was 
in  the  (former)  temple,  and  the}'  offered  up  a 
multitude  of  offerings ;  and  the  earth  gave  forth 
its  good  things,  and  returned  unto  its  former 
b  -auty  and  splendor;  and  with  the  carrying  out 
of  this  act  (on  God's  part)  nothing  was  withheld 


116       THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

from  them,  nor  did  he  veil  to  them  what  of  Di- 
vine power  He  was  wont  to  veil  to  their  ances- 
tors. And  to  every  circumstance  there  is  a 
cause,  and  to  every  fate  there  is  a  final  limit. 
And  of  God  do  we  ask  assistance,  because  of 
what  He  has  benevolently  bestowed  through  His 
mercy,  and  upon  Him  be  the  trust  put. 


CHAPTER  XL VI. 

THE    HISTORY    OF    EL-ISKANDAR     (ALEXANDER 
THE    GREAT.) 

The  whole  number  of  the  years  from  Adam 
up  to  the  time  of  king  el-Iskandar  was  three 
thousand  nine  hundred  and  thirty  years.  And 
when  el-Iskandar  undertook  the  war  against 
Dirawas  (Darius)  the  Persian,  he  saw  in  his 
sleep  an  angel  descending  from  heaven  in  the 
form  of  an  iin&m,  and  clad  in  his  robes,  who  said 
unto  him  :  "  Fear  not,  O  hero,  thou  shalt  con- 
quer Persia  ;  for  I  am  about  to  deliver  him 
(Darius)  into  thy  hand  :  behold  God  is  with 
thee."  So  he  (Alexander)  attacked  him  (Darius) 
and  killed  him.  And  when  each  nation  was 
subdued,  its  imams  were  brought  unto  him,  in 
the  hope  that  he  might  see  one  like  unto  that 
form  ;  but  he  saw  none.  And  when  he  came  to 
Sur  (Tyre)  to  conquer  it,  there  were  dwelling 
in  its  neighborhood  some  of  the  Samarat  (Sama- 
ritans), and  these  el-Iskandar  summoned  that  he 
might  win  them  over  to  his  side  ;  but  they  would 
not  consent,  for  they  had  bound  themselves  by 
an  oath  to  this  people.  And  he  blamed  them, 
and  directed  his  march  towards  the  region  of 
N&bulus  ;  and  its  people  came  out  to  meet  him, 
and,  when  he  beheld  the  form  of  the  chief  imam, 
he    hastily    descended    from    his    animal,   and 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.      117 

prostrated  himself  before  him.  And  when  his 
attendants  saw  what  he  did,  they  also  hastily 
dismounted  and  prostrated  themselves,  while  all 
the  retinue  wondered  why  he  had  been  bent 
upon  their  destruction  ;  and  his  companions  said 
to  him  :  u  Verily,  these  people  have  bewitched 
thee."  But  he  said  to  them  :  "  They  have 
exercised  no  power;  by  God,  I  am  not  bewitched, 
but  only  seized  with  great  emotion  ;  for,  verily, 
at  the  time  of  my  going  forth  against  Dirawas 
there  met  me  a  man  similar  to  this  individual 
and  like  unto  him  in  form,  who  said  to  me  :  'Go 
forth  against  Dirawas,  and  fear  not ;  for,  lo,  thou 
shalt  kill  him,'  and  thus  it  did  come  to  pass." 
And  el-Iskandar  was  moved  with  love  for  the 
Samarat  (Samaritans),  and  acted  kindly  toward 
them,  and  said  unto  them  :  "  Verily,  your  God 
is  the  God  of  Gods  and  Lord  of  Lords."  1  And 
el-Iskandar  conquered  all  the  country  of  el-Hind 
(India)  and  Fads  (Persia)  and  er-Rum  (Greece) 
and  other  places.  Then  an  impulse  led  him  to 
desire  to  see  the  whole  earth,  whereupon  it  was 
planned  for  him  to  make  a  journey  into  the  land 
of  Shades,  upon  she-asses  which  had  colts,  and  he 
carried  it  out.  And  when  they  had  tied  the 
colts  in  the  light,  they  entered  upon  a  journey 
of  three  days  into  the  darkness.  Thereupon 
they  took  of  the  dust  which  was  upon  the  ground, 
and  then  came  out  and  examined  it  when  they 
were  in  the  light,  and  they  found  that  the  dust 
which  they  had  with  them  was  rubies  and  pearls, 
whereupon  he  regretted  that  he  had  not  taken 
more  of  it  than  he  had  ;  for  who  would  not  take 
what  someone  has  abandoned  ?  2  And  he  said  to 
his  companions  and  his  wise  men  :  "  In  how- 
much  time,  forsooth,  can  I  see  rapidly  and 
quickly  all  the  regions  of  the  world  ?  "  And  his 
wise  men  and  companions  said  unto  him  :  "  If 
1  Note  95.  a  Note  96> 


118       THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

thou  desirest  to  see  the  world  in  one  moment 
and  in  the  briefest  space  of  time,  summon  the 
skilled  carpenters  and  command  them  to  con- 
struct a  car  with  screws  and  apparatus,  which 
will  with  rapidity  ascend  and  descend,  then  take 
four  of  thy  trained  eagles  and  tie  them  to  the 
four  corners  of  the  car,  and  hang  meat  to  the 
top  part  of  the  car,  so  as  that  the  eagles  cannot 
reach  it  ;  for  if  the  eagles  crave  the  meat,  they 
will  ascend  towards  it,  and  the  car  will  then  be 
borne  aloft  through  the  air,  until  it  be  lifted  up 
on  high,  and  thou  shalt  see  the  buildings  and 
what  is  round  about  them.  And  when  thou 
hast  the  desire,  the  screws  shall  be  put  in  rapid 
motion,  and  thou  shalt  have  the  meat  changed 
about  and  hung  below,  and  the  eagles  will  go 
downwards  in  a  desire  to  get  at  it,  and  will 
descend  with  the  car  to  the  earth  unto  the  level 
spot  which  thou  desirest."  And  el-Iskandar  did 
so,  and  ascended  into  the  air  until  he  had  seen 
the  earth  ;  then  the  eagles  reversed  and  de- 
scended with  him,  until  he  alighted  on  the  spot 
which  el-Iskandar  built  up  and  called  its  name 
el-Iskandariyeh  (Alexandria).3  Thereupon  he 
came  to  the  Mount  of  Blessing  and  acknowledged 
it  to  be  the  noblest  of  places,  and  the  grandest : 
in  praise  to  God — Mighty  and  Powerful.  Then 
he  proceeded  to  invest  his  companions  with  the 
authority  over  the  territories,  until  he  had  gone 
over  all  the  earth.4  And  when  his  companions 
beheld  his  liberality  to  the  children  of  Israil  and 
his  compassion  upon  them,  and  that  he  did  not 
rebuke  them  for  anything,  whether  it  was  a  grave 
affair  or  a  trifling  action,  they  became  envious  of 
them  ;  and  his  companions  said  to  him  :  "  Why 
does  this  nation  transgress  every  religious  ordi- 
ance,  in  neglecting  to  comply  with  the  estab- 
lished statute  ?  Why  dost  thou  not  summon  it, 
8  Note  97.  4  Note  98. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.     119 

and  make  instant  demand  of  them  concerning 
the  establishment  of  idols  and  images  ?  "  And 
so  he,  at  this  time,  commanded  the  imam — I 
mean  the  chief  imam — and  the  chiefs  of  the 
children  of  Israil  that,  they  should  set  up  to 
him  in  all  their  habitations  statues  and  images; 
and  then  said  to  them:  "  I  am  about  to  go  unto 
Misr,  and  upon  my  return  let  me  find  what 
I  have  commanded.  Then  el-Iskandar  set  out 
on  his  journey.  And  the  chief  imam  assem- 
bled all  the  leaders  of  the  children  of  Israil,  and 
they  went  up  to  the  Mount  of  Blessing  and  fast- 
ed and  prayed  and  offered  praise,  and  humiliated 
themselves  unto  God — Mighty  and  Powerful — 
and  He  disclosed  to  them  an  excellent  idea,  to 
wit,  that  they  should  name  their  boys  with  the 
name  of  the  king  el-Iskandar.  And  they  sent 
unto  every  place,  ordering  them  to  name  every 
boy  that  should  be  born  unto  them  with  the 
name  of  the  king  el-Iskandar;  and  they  did 
this.  And  when  three  years  had  passed  the  king 
el-Iskandar  returned  and  came  up  from  Misr,  and 
when  he  came  to  the  lands  of  the  children  of 
Israil,  he  saw  in  them  neither  statue  nor  image, 
and  he  reprobated  this,  and  summoned  the 
leaders  of  the  people  and  demanded  of  them  the 
reason.  And  they  replied  that  they  established 
unto  him  images,  who  were  endowed  with  ration- 
al speech  and  moved  like  paragons  of  obedience, 
and  were  quick  to  obey.  Thereupon  they 
brought  forward  immediately  their  children,  of 
whom  there  had  been  gathered  unto  them  a 
great  number  ;  and  he  said  unto  them :  "  What 
are  your  names?"  And  they  said:  "We  are 
servants  of  the  king  el-Iskandar,  who  are  named 
with  his  name."  And  the  king  and  his  disciples 
were  pleased,  and  approved  of  what  they  had 
done.  And  when  the  imam  saw  the  satisfaction 
of  the  king  in  what  had  happened,  he  threw  aside 


120     THE  SAM  A  BIT  AN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

his  restraint  and  said  to  him :  "  The  reason  of 
our  neglecting  the  setting-up  of  idols  is  fear  of 
our  Lord — Mighty  and  Powerful — who  has  pro- 
hibited us  from  doing  this,  and  when  He — exalt- 
ed be  His  fame  and  mighty  be  His  name — saw 
the  purity  of  the  purpose,  He  made  known  unto 
us  that  we  should  substitute  our  children  in 
place  of  idols.  And  the  king  approved  of  this 
on  their  part,  and  said  unto  them,  "  I  know  that 
your  God  is  the  God  of  gods  and  Lord  of  lords." 
Thereupon  the  king  bestowed  upon  them  gifts, 
and  spread  abroad  the  praise  of  their  deed.5 
And  unto  God  be  praise  and  thanksgiving  for 
His  kindness,  of  Whom  we  ask  mercy  and 
pardon. 


CHAPTER  XL VII. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  ADRINTJS  (HADRIAN),  AND 
HOW  HE  DESTROYED  EL-QUDS  (JERUSALEM), 
AND  WHAT  HAPPENED  TO  HIM  WITH  AFRIM 
(EPHRAIM)  AND  MANASHSHIH  (MANASSEH). 

When  this  king,  whose  name  was  Adrinus, 
came  to  reign  after  el-Iskandar,  he  went  down 
to  Misr  and  killed  a  multitude  of  the  Nasara 
(Christians)  of  those  who  believed  in  the  Masih 
(Messiah) ;  and  when  he  had  built  a  city  in  el- 
H&jar,1  he  went  down  and  beseiged  Beit  el- 
Muqaddas.  Now  ;  prior  to  this,  there  was  a  city 
there  called  Yusaf  2  and  in  it  were  two  brothers, 
Afrim  and  Manashshih,  who  were  Samaritans. 
And  a  certain  Jew  had  gone  up  with  some  young 
doves,  desiring  to  enter  with  them  and  make  an 
offering  in  Beit  el-Muqaddas  for  his  sins  ;  and  he 
passed  the  night  in  Yusaf,  and  the  two  brothers 
took  the  pair  of  young  doves  and  slew  them,  and 

5  Note  99-    »  Note  100.    3  Note  101. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.      121 

substituted  in  their  place  two  big  mice.  And 
the  man  arose  in  the  night  and  went  unto  the 
priest  who  was  installed  in  the  temple,  and  said 
to  him  :  wt  Offer  up  for  me  tiiis  pair  of  young 
birds."  And  when  the  priest  opened  the  basket 
the  cheat  of  the  two  mice  was  discovered,  and  he 
laid  hold  of  the  man  to  kill  him ;  but  he  said  : 
"  A  trick  has  been  played  upon  it.  I  passed  the 
night  at  a  lodging  place  in  Yusaf,  and  there  were 
none  there  except  two  Samaritan  lads,  and  I 
took  up  my  journey  in  the  night,  out  of  my  fear 
lest  the  offering  which  I  was  to  offer  for  my 
sins  might  escape  from  me,  and  I  knew  not  that 
this  trick  had  been  perpetrated  upon  it."  And 
they  sent  unto  the  innkeeper,  and  arrested  the 
two  brothers  to  punish  them  ;  and  when  they  con- 
fessed that  they  had  done  this,  they  gave  orders 
that  they  should  be  put  to  death,  but  certain  of 
them  said :  "  If  we  kill  them  their  services  are 
lost,  rather  let  them  be  among  the  servants  of  the 
temple  serving  all  their  life  long,  eating  the  thorn 
which  is  the  food  of  birds  and  drinking  water, 
and  sleeping  upon  the  ground."  And  after  this 
Adrmus  came  down  to  Beit  el-Muqaddas  and 
beseiged  it ;  but  the  Jews  used  to  go  out  of  the 
tunnels  which  Sulaiman  the  son  of  Dawid  had 
constructed  (one  of  which  led)  to  Riha  (Jericho) 
and  another  to  Ludd  (Lydda),  and  (the  inhabi- 
tants of  these  towns)  were  giving  unto  them 
whatsoever  they  could  eat  and  furnishing  them 
with  everything.  And  they  (the  inhabitants  of 
Jerusalem)  would  go  up  on  top  of  the  walls  and 
say  to  them  (the  besiegers)  :  "  See  what  our 
Lord  does  for  us,  He  sends  down  upon  us  food ; 
as  He  was  wont  to  do  with  us  in  the  wilderness, 
thus  now  again  does  He  do."  And  they  used  to 
throw  to  them  from  above  the  wall  fruit,  both 
fresh  and  dried,  and  other  things,  and  would  say 
to  them :  "  Eat  such  as  our  Lord  sends  down 


122      TlIE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

upon  us."  And  they  would  also  say:  "Take 
unto  you  of  what  we  have  sacrifices  to  the  king  ; 
for  behold  our  Lord,  as  much  as  we  are  in  need 
of,  the  same  He  sends  down  upon  us  ;  as  He  has 
wont  to  do  with  us  in  the  wilderness,  thus  does  He 
with  us  now."  And  Adrinus  had  given  cre- 
dence to  them,  in  as  much  as  the  war  had  become 
fatiguing,  and  did  reckon  their  statements  to  be 
true.  Now  when  this  affair  came  to  pass,  the 
two  brothers  Afriin  and  Manashshih  came  to- 
gether, and  wrote  a  note  and  worked  it  up  in 
clay  and  threw  it  from  above  the  wall  to  Adrinus 
the  king,  and  it  reached  the  king  and  he  opened 
it  and  read  it,  and  there  was  written  in  it  this : 
"Do  not  deem  their  statements  to  be  true  ;  and 
if  thou  desires t  that  we  should  inform  thee  how 
thou  may  est  conquer  the  country — well  and 
good  ;  but,  verily  in  consideration  for  that  which 
shall  enable  thee  to  be  victorious  in  the  war, 
save  our  souls  from  death.  Now  if  thou  dost 
desire  to  get  possession  of  the  country,  send  unto 
Riha  and  unto  Ludd  and  seize  the  mouths  of  the 
tunnels,  and  let  not  anything  enter  into  them 
nor  anyone  go  into  them;  and  also  seize  Beit 
Lahm  (Bethlehem),  and  demolish  the  duct 
through  which  there  comes  in  unto  them  oil  and 
water  and  sesame-oil  and  honey,"  And  the  king 
did  according  to  what  they  said  unto  him,  and 
he  also  sent  and  had  brought  into  his  presence 
the  Samaritans  Afrim  and  Manashshih,  and  they 
were  present  with  him  in  besieging  Beit  el- 
Muqaddas.  And  he  reduced  them  (the  in- 
habitants of  Jerusalem)  to  such  sore  straits,  that 
women  ate  their  daughters  and  men  their  sons. 
And  he  rose  in  attack  against  them  while  they 
were  observing  the  requirements  of  the  law,  and 
when  they  beheld  themselves  spoiled  of  every- 
thing they  sued  for  protection.  And  when  they 
(the   Romans)    took   possession,  Adrinus   gave 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSTIUA.      123 

orders  that  they  should  not  molest  the  temple 
until  he  went  in,  and  when  he  entered  he  took 
the  priest  who  belonged  to  the  temple,  and  said 
to  him :  "  For  whose  name  was  this  dwelling 
built?"  The  priest  said  unto  him:  "It  was 
built  for  the  name  of  the  Creator  of  creatures." 
And  when  he  had  entered  into  the  place,  he  be- 
held a  painted  picture  and  by  its  side  an  idol, 
and  when  he  saw  them  he  said  to  the  priest : 
"  This  place  was  built  for  the  name  of  the 
Creator  of  creatures  and  is  this  done  in  it  ? " 
And  he  seized  hold  of  him  to  punish  him  ;  but 
he  (the  priest)  informed  him  that  it  was  a  deceit 
which  the  Jews  who  served  the  idol  had  made, 
notwithstanding  Harun  (Aaron)  had  commanded 
that  they  should  worship  the  Creator  of  creatures. 
And  this  wicked  king  saved  Afrim  and  Manash- 
shih  from  being  killed;  and  Adrinus  set  up  in 
the  city  an  image  upon  a  pillar  in  accordance 
with  the  will  of  Afrim  and  Manashshih,  for  the 
purpose  of  showing  unto  them  (the  inhabitants 
of  the  city)  his  rank,  and  it  is  there  unto  this 
day  ;  3  and  he  also  erected  two  images,  and  named 
the  first  image  after  the  name  of  Afrim,  and  the 
second  image  after  the  name  of  Manashshih ; 
and  he  gave  orders  to  the  leaders  of  the  Jews 
that  no  one  should  pass  by  in  front  of  them,  but 
only  behind  them ;  and  they  are  obliged  to  do 
this  even  unto  this  day.  And  Adrinus  went  out 
from  there  unto  Qiryat  el-'Arba'  (Kirjath-Arba) 
— which  is  Habrdn  (Hebron),  and  did  like  as  he 
had  done  in  Beit  el-Muqaddas.  And  Manash- 
shih said  unto  Adrinus:  "Make  in  my  name  a 
bell,  and  let  the  bell  be  rung  for  my  name." 
And  he  did  so.  And  he  went  forth  from  there 
to  Nabulus;  for  he  desired  to  destroy  it,  but 
while  he  was  in  Merj  el-Baha,  and  was  elated 
upon  his  passing  through  it,  they  (the  com- 
3  Note  102. 


124      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

panions  of  the  king)  said :  "  If  this  is  carried 
out,  it  (the  Samaritan  nation)  will  instigate  a 
heroic  revolt,  and  whoever  sees  this  in  Nabulus 
will  be  inflamed  with  the  zeal  of  a  hero."  So 
they  collected  together  and  said  unto  him  :  "  As 
far  as  it  is  possible  unto  thee,  spare  (the  place)." 
And  God  moved  his  heart  to  pity,  and  he  dealt 
kindly  with  it,  and  with  those  who  led  the 
troops  in  Nabulus  ;  and  he  built  there  a  town  on 
Mount  Gerizin,  and  called  it  Saqarus,4  after  the 
name  of  his  father.  And  the  doors  that  were  on 
Beit  el-Muqaddas  were  of  yellow  brass,  plated 
with  silver  and  ornamented  with  gold,  which 
Sulaiman  had  made,  the  like  of  which  no  one, 
though  strong  of  hand,  could  ever  make,  and  he 
(Hadrian)  carried  these  away  and  placed  them 
on  the  door  of  the  dome  which  he  had  built  on 
the  ridge  of  the  mountain  that  is  over  against 
N&bulus.  And  after  this  Adrmus  went  to  Ru- 
miyat  (Rome),  and  the  Samaritans  came  to- 
gether and  purified  the  places  wherein  Adrmus 
had  been  ;  and  the  Jews  plotted  a  wicked 
thought  against  them,  and  went  unto  the  king, 
and  said  to  him  :  "Behold  how  thou  art  aiding 
the  Samaritans  and  yet  they  are  wishing  thy  de- 
struction ;  make  investigation  and  see  how  they 
have  burned  with  fire  every  place  wherein  thou 
wast."  And  when  Adrinus  heard  their  words, 
he  said:  "We  will  kill  every  circumcised  one." 
And  he  pronounced  judgment  of  death  upon 
the  villages  and  upon  every  city,  and  pro- 
hibited baptism,  and  interdicted  (the  observance 
of)  the  Sabbath  and  feasts,  wishing  to  ruin 
N&bulus  and  destroy  it,  like  a  field  laid  waste. 
And  when  the  Samaritans  heard  of  this  mighty 
calamity,  they  fled  away,  and  were  stricken  with 
terror  and  hid  themselves  from  the  presence  of 
this  great  wrath,  and  they  did  not  enter  into  a 
*  Note  103. 


THE  8AMA1UTAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.     125 

house  nor  reside  under  a  roof,  and  there  remained 
for  them  no  shelter  except  the  deserts  and 
forests  and  caves.  And  he  came  and  burned  the 
houses,  and  crucified  the  teachers  (of  the  people) 
and  put  to  death  its  judges,  and  they  did  die  in 
prisons  by  starvation,  and  their  dead  bodies  were 
thrown  out  and  not  buried,  and  rights  were  in- 
fringed both  as  to  themselves  and  their  dead  bod- 
ies, and  i hey  were  persecuted  in  castles  and  on 
the  roads.  And  when  he  came  to  destroy  Nabulus, 
he  began  from  the  city  gate  on  the  west  until  hear- 
rived  at  the  four  pillars  that  were  above  the  dec  liv- 
ity  at  the  base  of  the  mountain.  And  they  capt- 
ured there  a  man  who  was  fleeing  that  he  might 
not  be  killed,  and  he  fled  into  the  presence  of 
Adrmus  and  conjured  him,  and  said  unto  him : 
"  I  beg  of  thee,  by  the  honor  of  the  One  whom 
thou  dost  worship,  O  king  of  the  age,  hear  of 
me  one  word,  and  after  that  do  with  this  nation 
what  thou  wishest.,,  And  when  he  had  bound 
himself  by  oath  he  listened  to  him,  and  the  cap- 
tive said:  "  Send  and  make  investigation  into 
the  conduct  of  the  Samaritans,  for  though  they 
do  burn  every  place  wherein  a  foreigner  has  been 
that  the}'  may  purify  it  from  his  tracks,  yet  we 
have  not  done  this  out  of  malignity  or  hostility 
to  thee.  And  the  Jews  have  spoken  unto  thee 
only  deceitfully,  because  that  we  did  render  aid 
to  thee  in  reducing  them  to  straitened  circum- 
stances, and  also  because  we  did  at  once  furnish 
thee  with  provisions."  So  he  (Adrinus)  said 
that  he  would  no  longer  put  to  death  anyone, 
and  he  showed  favor  to  the  city  and  did  not  de- 
stroy it.  And  he  set  up  three  images  after  his 
likeness,  in  the  city  on  top  of  pillars,  on  the  spot 
where  the  man  fled  away  from  being  killed,  and 
also  two  images  on  the  aqueduct.  And  after 
this  Adrinus  died — may  God  have  no  mercy  up- 
on him — and  he  died  in  woe  and  every  kind  of 


126      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

affliction,5  and  his  reign  had  lasted  twenty-one 
years —  may  God  crush  his  bones.  And  the 
space  of  time  from  Adam  up  to  his  death  was 
four  thousand  five  hundred  and  thirteen  years 
and  seven  months.  And  in  those  days  the  Book 
of  Choice  Selections  was  taken  awa}%  which  had 
been  in  their  hands  since  the  days  of  Divine 
favor ;  and  there  was  also  taken  away  the  Songs 
and  Praises,  which  they  were  accustomed  to 
utter  over  the  offerings,  each  offering  according 
to  its  merits ;  and  also  the  Hymns,  which  they 
were  wont  to  sing  in  the  days  of  Divine  favor  : 
now  all  these  constituted  a  library  which  had 
been  preserved  with  greatest  care  generation 
after  generation  through  the  time  of  the  prophets 
unto  that  day,  by  the  hands  of  the  chief  imams. 
And  there  was  also  taken  away  the  Book  of  the 
Imdms,  which  they  had,  wherein  their  genealogy 
was  traced  back  to  Finahas  ;  and  there  was  also 
destroyed  the  Annals,  wherein  was  recorded 
their  birthdays  and  the  years  of  their  lives,  and 
of  these  not  one  ancient  book  or  chronicle  was 
found,  except  the  Law  and  a  book  containing 
their  lives.  But  we  have  written  up  the  years 
of  the  life  of  the  chief  imam,  and  a  genealogy 
from  the  chief  imam  'Aqbun  ;  and  this  comes  (in 
the  next  chapter). 

CHAPTER  XL VIII. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  ' AQBUN  THE  IMAM. 

Now  it  was  once  said  to  him :  "  Brother  of 
the  king  !  every  thing  in  thy  house  belongs  unto 
the  king,"  and  Aqbun  said :  The  whole  of  it  be- 
longs unto  God,  and  I  have  given  over  my  spirit 
unto  God  and  I  will  not  renounce  my  Lord." 
And  they  (the  Romans  ?)  went  and  seized  two 
6  Note  104. 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.      127 

men  of  the  children  of  the  imams,  and  said  unto 
them :  "  Seek  refuge  in  our  gods,  and  ye  can 
depart  to  your  houses  unharmed."  But  they 
utterly  refused,  and  said :  "  We  will  not  do 
that :  "  so  they  killed  them  in  punishment  and 
threw  their  corpses  outside  the  wall — that  is  the 
wall  of  Sebustieh  ; l  and  they  crucified  of  the 
wise  men  of  Israil  a  company  of  thirty-six  men 
on  the  gate  of  Nabulus.  In  that  day  the  in- 
struction of  Israil  was  like  as  dust ;  there  was  no 
imam  among  them,  nor  wisdom,  nor  teaching  of 
the  Law,  nor  was  any  one  able  in  the  days  of 
these  kings  to  give  instruction  in  the  Penta- 
teuch ;  except  one  in  a  thousand  and  two  in  a 
myriad.  And  the  children  of  Israil  continued 
in  this  calamitous  state  until  Baba  Rabba  arose. 
In  those  days  'Aqbun  knew  his  wife,  and  she 
conceived  and  gave  birth  to  a  son,  and  he  named 
him  Natanal  (Nathaniel),  and  this  Natanal  was 
the  father  of  Babli,  Rabba  who  broke  the  brazen 
bird  which  was  on  the  Mount  preventing  them 
from  ascending  it ;  for  this  the  Romans  and 
(their)  magicians  had  done.  After  this  the  chief 
imam  'Aqbun  died;  but  before  he  died  he  said 
at  this  time  to  his  son  Natanal :  "  O  my  child, 
be  not  troubled  with  regard  to  these  times,  or 
these  calamities,  or  the  power  of  the  enemies ; 
know  that  in  a  short  time  these  distresses  will 
disappear,  for  these  calamities  are  tests  sent  by 
God  upon  us,  that  He  may  prove  whether  we 
ourselves  are  faithful,  and  are  not  forsaking  the 
worship  of  God  our  God.  O  my  child,  these 
calamities  and  straits  will  vanish  away  ;  for  God 
— may  He  be  exalted — is  able  to  cause  them  to 
disappear  from  us."  And  the  imam  'Aqbun  pro- 
ceeded to  make  a  revelation  unto  his  son  in 
accord  with  this,  and  invoked  blessing  on  him, 
and  said  unto  him :  "  O  my  child,  be  on  thy 
1  Note  105. 


128     THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

guard  against  worshipping  any  other  than  God  ; 
for  wert  thou  to  be  crushed  under  stones,  God 
would  give  thee  strength  to  worship  Him.  And 
God  will  raise  up  from  thee  one  who  will  get  the 
ascendancy  over  this  infidel  oppressing  nation. " 
And  the  prayer  of  the  Rabbis  2 'Aqbun  was 
granted  at  that  time,  with  regard  to  all  that  he 
invoked  for  his  son;  for  there 'arose  from  his 
son,  Baba  Rabba,  and  he  brought  about  that 
which  happened  to  the  Romans.  And  at  that 
the  imam  'Aqbun  died,  and  was  removed  to  his 
people  :  may  God  benefit  us  with  his  blessings. 
And  all  Tsrail  mourned  for  him,  and  wept  for 
him  thirty  days. 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  WHAT  HAPPENED  UNTO  NAT- 
ANAL  FROM  THE  ROMANS,  AFTER  THE  DEATH 
OF  HIS  FATHER. 

When  the  Rabbis  'Aqbun  died  and  was  trans- 
lated to  his  people,  Natanal  took  the  office  of 
imam  in  place  of  his  father.  And  he  knew  his 
wife,  and  she  conceived  and  gave  birth  to  child- 
ren, and  he  was  granted  of  her  three  children; 
his  first  born  was  Baba  Rabba,  his  second  was 
'Aqbun,  and  the  third  after  these  two  was  Fina- 
has.  Now  when  the  imam  Natanal  was  granted 
his  first  born,  he  was  for  some  time  perplexed  with 
regard  to  him,  as  to  how  he  should  circumcise 
him ;  for  the  Romans  at  that  time  forcibly  pre- 
vented them  from  performing  circumcision,  and 
set  over  them  curators,  that  they  might  not  cir- 
cumcise their  children,  and  there  was  stationed 
at  the  door  of  the  residence  of  the  imam  Natanal 
a  deputy  of  the  king,  named  Jarman  the  Roman. 
2  Note  106, 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSIIU.  1 .     1 29 

And  when  the  Rabbis  was  granted  this  child,  he 
took  it  on  the  day  of  circumcision,  and  placed  it 
in  a  basket  and  put  wool  on  top  of  it  and  under 
it,  and  said  unto  the  maidservant  that  was  with 
him:  "Take  this  boy  and  go  in  advance  of  us 
unto  the  field  to  the  cave,  and  we  will  follow 
after  and  overtake  thee,  that  we  may  circum- 
cise him  ;  but  let  no  one  know  what  thou  hast. 
Take  him  and  go  out  from  the  door  of  the  house, 
while  we  will  go  out  from  the  rear  of  the  house." 
And  the  maid  took  it  and  went  out;  and  when 
she  issued  forth  from  the  door  of  the  house,  Jar- 
man  the  deputy  said  to  her :  "  Perform,  girl, 
what  thou  hast  in  mind,  and  fear  not."  And 
the  maid  went  with  the  infant  to  the  cave,  and 
repeated  unto  the  Rabbis  Natanal  the  speech  of 
Jar  man  ;  and  he  in  fear  said :  "  The  affair  is 
God's."  And  they  circumcised  the  little  one, 
and  the  maid-servant  returned  with  it  just  as  it 
was  ;  and  when  she  came  to  the  door,  Jarman 
said  unto  her  :  "  Rear  him  in  peace,  O  my  child." 
And  when  she  had  passed,  she  repeated  to  the 
Rabbis  the  speech  of  Jarman,  and  he  was  smit- 
ten with  great  fear,  and  said :  "  Who  has  in- 
formed Jarman  of  our  business?  I  cannot  mol- 
lify his  anger  except  with  great  riches.  And 
the  Rabbis  was  worried,  and  went  forth  to  Jar- 
man, the  deputy  over  his  house,  with  his  hands 
full  of  gold.  And  Jarman  said  unto  the  Rabbis : 
"  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  this,  except  only 
I  will  take  of  this  just  three  dinars,1  so  that  thou 
mayest  not  sa}^  that  T  am  laying  a  plot  for  thee  ; 
for,  verily,  I  will  not  make  this  known  unto  the 
king."  And  when  Jarman  had  bound  himself  by 
oath  unto  the  Rabbis,  his  heart  became  good,  and 
the  Rabbis  made  it  to  be  remembered  of  Jarman  : 
and  it  came  to  pass  that  whenever  they  circum- 
cised any  of  their  children  in  a  cave,  they  would 

i  Note  107. 
9 


130       THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

invoke  a  blessing  on  Jarman,  saying  in  the  Ro- 
man language  :  "  May  God  be  merciful  unto  Jar- 
man  the  Roman  priest ;  "  and  unto  this  our  day, 
they  invoke  a  blessing  on  him,  immediately  after 
every  circumcision.  And  the  Romans  did  mix 
hogs'  lard  in  every  thing  that  was  eaten  and 
drunken,  so  that  they  (the  Samaritans)  might 
be  afflicted  with  bodily  infirmity.  And  the 
houses  of  prayer  that  we  had  were  shut  up,  and 
they  prevented  us  from  going  up  on  to  the  Mount, 
by  means  of  a  talisman  which  they  fixed  above 
it.  And  we  continued  in  this  strait  and  great 
calamity  for  the  space  of  twenty  years ;  until 
God  comforted  us,  and  saved  us  from  the  power 
of  the  infidels,  and  this  was  brought  about  by 
the  hand  of  Baba  Rabba. 


CHAPTER  L. 

THE   HISTORY  OF  BABA  RABBA,  AND  WHAT  HAP- 
PENED TO  HIM  WITH  THE  ROMANS. 

When  the  kingdom  passed  away  from  the 
children  of  Israil,  and  the  Romans  ruled,  they  gave 
over  to  judgment  and  crushed  under  the  stones 
of  torture  many  of  the  Samaritans,  until  they 
should  abjure  their  faith  and  bow  down  unto  idols ; 
and  many  of  the  Samaritans  perished  through  this 
cause.  And  the  Romans  suffered  not  one  of  the 
Samaritans  to  circumcise  his  child,  but  stationed 
trustworthy  men  of  the  Romans  over  the  houses 
of  the  Samaritans  to  prevent  them  from  perform- 
ing circumcision.  And  the  Samaritans  were 
wont  at  that  time,  when  a  child  was  born  unto 
them,  to  place  it  in  a  basket  and  cover  it  with 
wool,  and  go  with  it  to  the  cave  and  circumcise 
it  under  ground  by  the  light  of  candles.  And 
also  then  the  Romans  prevented  the  Samaritans 


THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.      131 

from  ascending  the  Mount ;  for  they  said  :  "  Who- 
soever goes  up  on  to  this  Mount  shall  be  put  to 
death  ".  And  the  Romans  placed  upon  the  sum- 
mit of  the  Mount  a  talisman,  and  this  was  a 
brazen  bird,and  it  used  to  turn  round  with  the  sun 
howsoever  it  revolved,  and  it  was  so  that  if  a 
Samaritan  did  go  up,  the  bird  would  screech  out: 
"  Hebraeus,"  and  they  would  know  then  that 
there  was  a  Samaritan  on  the  Mount,  and  would 
issue  forth  against  him  and  kill  him.  Arid  the 
children  of  Israil  continued  in  this  distress,  un- 
till  Baba  Rabba  arose  ;  and  in  him  there  was  a 
spirit  of  resolution  and  zealous  patriotism.  And 
Baba  Rabba  assembled  the  Israelitish  community, 
and  said:  "  How  long  shall  this  polluted  nation 
go  on  dominating  over  you  ?  Arise,  let  us  lift  up 
the  children  of  Israil  from  this  oppression,  and  let 
us  be  zealous  for  God — may  He  be  exalted,  as  our 
father  Fmahas  was  zealous,  and  there  remains 
to  him  a  goodly  remembrance  unto  the  end  of  the 
ages.  And  now  know  that  I  have  resolved  upon 
the  destruction  of  the  Romans,  and  I  will  purify 
Mount  Gerizim  of  them  but  not  a  thing  can  be 
accomplished  for  us,  except  by  the  destruction  of 
this  bird  which  is  stationed  over  the  temple,  and 
this  cannot  be  effected  for  us  except  by  a  strat- 
agem which  God  has  revealed  unto  me.  Now  ye 
know  that  this  is  a  time  of  infidelity,  and  they  have 
many  kings,  and  my  plan  is  to  send  Lawi,  the 
son  of  mybrother,  to  Qustuniyeh(Constantinople) 
the  city  of  the  Romans,  that  they  may  learn  what 
they  talk  about  what  it  is  that  makes  them  power- 
ful, and  may  gain  a  knowledge  of  their  religious 
sects.  And  he  shall  go  in  the  garb  of  a  Christian 
monk  (or)  priest,  aud  no  one  will  know  him,  and 
the  Romans  will  not  know  who  he  is  ;  and  he  will 
come  back  to  Mount  Gerizim,  and  will  go  up  to  the 
church  and  make  use  of  a  stratagem  to  smash  the 
bird;  and  when  they  (the  Roman  guards)  attempt 


132      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

to  repel  him  he  will  employ  stratagem  and  get  the 
power  to  ascend  the  Mount,  and  will  supplicate 
God  upon  it,  and  He  will  then  give  us  the  vic- 
tory over  our  enemies  "  .  And  all  the  people  said  : 
"  O  our  master,  do  what  seemeth  good  in  thy 
sight."  And  he  said :  "  Give  unto  me  your  own 
handwritings,  that  after  his  coming  back  your 
souls  will  stand  by  him."  And  they  did  this 
And  Baba  Rabba  led  forth  the  son  of  his  brother 
to  Beitil  (Bethel)1  in  the  presence  of  the  people, 
and  said  unto  him:  "Be  attentive  however  thou 
mayest  be,  and  set  thy  mind  upon  learning 
every  thing,  and  be  on  thy  guard  that  thou  cease 
not  to  read  the  Pentateuch  night  and  day,  and 
God  shall  help  thee  in  all  thy  doings."  And 
he  sent  away  Lawi,  the  son  of  his  brother ;  and 
he  pursued  his  journey  seeking  Qustuniyeh. 
Now  Lawi  was  an  intelligent,  knowing,  acute 
and  pure  man,  yea,  in  him  was  found  every  vir- 
tue ;  and  he  arrived  at  Qustuniyeh,  and  sought 
after  learning  and  diligently  applied  himself,  and 
he  obtained  what  he  sought  for ;  and  with  his 
keenness  of  intellect  he  continued  reading  for 
the  space  of  two  years,  and  there  remained  no 
one  among  all  the  Romans  more  learned  than  he. 
And  he  arose  to  such  eminence  in  learning  that 
the  Romans  used  repeatedly  to  come  to  do  him 
reverence,  and  by  reason  of  his  eloquent  attain- 
ments in  learning  they  made  him  Archbishop, 
and  he  was  elevated  to  the  highest  rank  among 
them,  until  kings  used  to  come  to  his  door,  and  no 
king  could  assume  the  kingly  authority  without 
his  orders,  nor  put  on  a  crown  except  by  his  com- 
mand. And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  thirteen 
years  that  he  said  unto  the  king :  "  I  have  a  de- 
sire to  visit  the  church  which  is  on  the  Mountain 
of  Nabulus".  And  the  whole  army  assembled, 
and  the  king  and  the  legions  marched  in  his 
1  Note  108. 


7Y//<;  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA.      133 

service.  And  when  they  encamped  at  Nabulus, 
the  king  sent  for  all  the  people  who  were  in 
Nabulus  to  come  out  to  meet  the  Archbishop, 
And  when  the  Samaritans  heard  this  they  were 
smitten  with  a  great  fear,  and  all  the  people  as- 
sembled, and  said  : ,4  We  have  lost  hope  in  the  opin- 
ion we  had  with  regard  to  Law!  whom  we  sent  away 
on  his  journey  ;  for  no  tidings  have  come  back  from 
him,  and  without  doubt  he  has  perished:  and  as 
to  this  Bishop  who  has  now  arrived,  we  have 
heard  that  he  is  the  head  of  the  nation  of  the 
Romans,  and  they  proclaim  of  him  that  he  is 
profoundly  versed  in  infidelity,  and  the  Romans 

call  him.2 

2  Note  109. 


NOTES. 


Note  1,  Page  13. 

In  the  name  of  God,  the  Companionate.  This  phrase 
in  its  more  complete  form:  In  the  name  of  God,  the  Com- 
passionate, the  Merciful,  is  used  universally  by  all  Moham- 
medans at  the  commencement  of  every  book  they  write,  what- 
ever may  be  its  subject,  they  are  also  wont  to  pronounce  it 
on  commencing  every  lawful  act  of  any  importance,  and 
even  acts  of  a  somewhat  trivial  nature.  Lane  in  his  Modern 
Egyptians,  Vol.  1,  p.  284,  referring  to  this  custom,  says: 
"It  is  the  custom  of  some  to  say,  '  In  the  name  of  God,  the 
Compassionate,  the  Merciful,'  on  locking  a  door,  covering 
bread,  laying  down  their  clothes  at  night,  and  on  other  occa- 
sions; and  this,  they  believe,  protects  their  property  from 
genii."  As  to  how  this  formula  particularly  originated  we 
are  left  in  doubt;  for  the  Moslem  traditions  are  absurdly  ex- 
travagant and  mythical,  as  an  example  of  which  we  may  cite 
the  Shiite  tradition,  found  in  the  Hydt-ul  Kid  fib.  by  Moham- 
med Ibn  Mohammed  Taki,  which  states  that  at  the  time  of 
Mohammed's  midnight  visit  to  heaven,  when  he  had  "passed 
the  seven  heavens  and  seven  curtains  of  exaltation  and 
glory,    and   arrived  near  the  place   of  communion  with  the 

merciful  Lord  of  glory the  Lord  then  commanded 

the  Prophet  (saying):  Now  you  have  arrived  at  this  place 
of  near  intercourse  with  Me,  pronounce  My  name.  Ac- 
cordingly the  Prophet  said:  In  the  name  of  God,  the  Com- 
passionate, the  Merciful  !  for  which  reason  this  phrase  was 
established  to  commence  chapters  and  writings,"  (Merrick's 
Translation,  p.  201).  Sale  in  his  Preliminary  Discourse,  p. 
78,  advances  the  opinion  that  Mohammed  borrowed  this  ex- 
pression from  the  Persians;  be  says:  'The  Jews,  for  the  same 
purpose,  make  use  of  the  form,  'In  the  name  of  the  Lord' 
or,  '  In  the  name  of  the  great  God,'  and  the  eastern  Chris- 
tians that  of,  '  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.'  But  I  am  apt  to  believe  Mohammed 
really  took  tins  form,  as  he  did  many  other  things,  from  the 
Persian  Magi,  who  used  to  begin  their  books  in  these  words, 
Bernini  Yezdan  bakJishaishgher  daddy;  that  is,  *  In  the  name 
of  the  most  merciful,  just  God." 

Note  2,  Page  13. 
Khatifate.     This  is  strictly  a  Mohammedan  term,  and  by 
Moslem  writers  exclusively  restricted  to  the  designation  of 
the  office   of   successor  of  the  prophet   Mohammed.     The 


136      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

meaning  of  the  title  Khalifis  "Successor,"  or  "Vicar";  and 
it  was  originally  given  to  the  universal  sovereigns  of  the 
Moslem  Arabs,  as  signifying  "  Successor  of  the  Prophet  "  ; 
but  afterwards,  in  a  more  exalted  sense,  as  "  Yicar  of  God  " ; 
the  Khalif  being  the  head  of  the  religion  as  well  as  the  su- 
preme political  governor,  or  at  least  arrogating  to  himself  the 
right  to  possess  such  supremacy,  throughout  the  whole  Mos- 
lem world.     (Lane's  Arabian  Nights,  Chap.  III.  note  27.) 

Note  3,  Page  13. 

WMy  el  Miijib,  the  modern  Arabic  name  for  the  valley  of 
Arnon.  This  appellation  dates  back  at  least  to  the  tenth 
century,  for  we  find  in  the  Sam ari to- Arabic  version  of  the 
Pentateuch,  translated  by  Aba  Said  at  that  time  el  Mtijib 
written  in  place  of  Arnon.     See  Note  46. 

Note  4,  Page  14. 

Greater  Sea,  the  Red  Sea.  The  term  "  Greater"  is  probably 
here  applied  to  it  to  prevent  all  possibility  of  its  being  con- 
founded with  the  Nile,  for  in  Arabic  the  word  Bahr  "sea" 
is  indiscriminately  used  to  designate  any  large  body  of  water, 
whether  it  be  a  large  river,  sea  or  ocean.  In  Chapter  XVI. 
it  is  called  the  Sea  of  el-Qulzum,  the  name  by  which  it  is 
commonly  known  among  the  Arabs.    See  Note  41. 

Note  5,  Page  14. 

Greater  Misr  here,  I  take  it,  means  Egypt  in  its  former 
highest  state  of  glory  and  power;  but  it  might  be  interpreted 
to  mean  the  former  metropolis  of  Egypt,  for  the  term  Misr 
is  applied  equally  to  the  chief  city  of  Egypt  and  to  the 
country  itself. 

Note  6,  Page  11. 

'  Tig  the  father  ofAndq.  In  the  Bible  Og  is  not  spoken  of 
as  being  directly  connected  with  the  Anakim,  and  their  pro- 
genitor is  said  to  be  Arba  (Josh.  xiv.  15;  xv.  13;  xxi.  11), 
yet  he  is  classed  with  the  Rephaim  (giants)  (Deut.  iii.  11), 
who  are  associated  with  the  Anakim  (Deut.  ii.  11);  but  in 
Mohammedan  legends  he  is  asserted  to  he  the  direct  descend- 
ant of  'Anaq,  to  those  therefore  our  author,  in  all  probabil- 
ity, is  indebted  for  his  statement.  That  Og  was  of  gigantic 
stature  is  clearly  proved  by  what  is  said  in  the  Pentateuch 
concerning  his  bedstead  of  iron  that  was  in  Rabbath;  for  we 
read  that:  "nine  cubits  (15  1-2  feet)  was  the  length  thereof, 
and  four  cubits  the  breadth  of  it,  after  the  cubit"  of  a  man  " 
(Deut.  iii.  11);  and  many  are  the  Oriental  legends  and  fabu- 
lous stories  which  have  grown  up  around  his  name.  Indeed 
so  numerous  and  varied  are  these  legends,  that  the  learned 
imam,  Jalal  ed-Din  el-Soyuti,  who  lived  in  the  loth  cen- 
tury, wrote  a  long  book  about  him  and  his  race,  largely  drawn 
from  Rabbinical  sources,  and  we  know  that  in  the  early 
church  there  was  current  an  apocryphal  book  of  king  Og, 
probably  a  compilation  of  traditions,  which  was  condemned 


NOTES.  137 

by  Pope  Gelasius  1  (cf.  Smith's  Bib.  Diet.  Og).  It  may  be 
well  to  quote  one  or  two  of  these  stories,  just  to  give  some 
idea  of  their  extravagant  character.  The  following  one  I 
translate  from  the  Targum  of  Jonathan  on  the  Pentateuch. 
Numbers,  chap.  xxi.  ?>■)-.  "And  it  came  to  pass  when  wicked 
Og  saw  the  camps  of  Israel,  which  were  spread  over  six  par- 
asangs,  he  said  within  himself:  I  will  arrange  in  order  lines 
of  battle  against  this  people,  that  they  may  not  do  unto  me 
like  as  they  did  to  Slhon.  So  he  went  and  plucked  up  a 
mountain  six  parasangs  in  extent,  and  placed  it  upon  his 
head,  in  order  to  cast  it  upon  them.  Immediately  the  word 
of  the  Lord  prepared  a  worm,  and  it  rent  the  mountain  and 
bored  a  hole  through  it;  and  thereupon  his  (Og's)  head  slip- 
ped through  it.  And  he  desired  to  draw  it  off  from  his  head, 
but  was  unable,  because  his  jaw-teeth  and  the  tusks  of  his 
mouth  caught  fast  hither  and  thither.  And  Moses  came  and 
took  a  club  ten  cubits  in  length,  and  sprang  up  into  the  air 
ten  cubits,  and  hit  him  a  blow  on  his  ankle,  and  he  fell  down 
and  died  far  off  from  the  camps  of  Israel ;  for  thus  it  is  writ- 
ten." The  next  is  transalated  from  the  work  entitled  Kisas 
el-anbiyd  by  el-Thalabi  (Cairo  edition,  A.  H.  1801).  It  will 
be  noticed  that  it  agrees  strikingly  in  many  particulars 
with  the  foregoing,  and  is  in  this  respect  a  very  good  illus- 
tration of  how  largely  Mohammedan  writers  borrow  their 
facts  from  Rabbinic  sources.  We  here  read  that,  when  the 
spies  whom  Moses  sent,  went  to  spy  out  the  land:  "there 
met  them  a  man  of  the  giants  who  was  called  'Ug,  the  son 
of 'Anaq.  Ibn 'Amr  sajs:  The  length  of  'Ug  was  twenty- 
three  thousand  cubits,  even  three  hundred  and  thirty  cubits 
(measured)  in  ancient  cubits.  And  'Ug  used  to  collect  the 
clouds  and  drink  water  from  them,  and  would  catch  up  the 
great  fish  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea  and  roast  it  in  the  beams 
of  the  sun,  holding  it  up  to  it  after  which  he  would  eat  it. 
And  he  quotes  that :  He  came  unto  Nuh  (Noah)  in  the  days  of 
the  deluge,  and  said  to  him,  carry  me  with  thee  in  thy  ship. 
But  he  said  to  him,  depart,  O  enemy  of  God,  for  I  have  re- 
ceived no  command  touching  thee.  And  the  water  covered 
the  land  of  plain  and  mountain,  yet  it  did  not  reach  above 
his  knees.  And  he  lived  for  three  thousand  years,  until  God 
destroyed  him  by  the  hand  of  Musa.  And  Musa  had  an 
army  a  parasang  square,  and  'Ug  came  and  looked  at  them, 
and  then  went  to  a  mountain  and  detached  from  it  a  rock  in 
size  equal  to  the  army;  thereupon  he  carried  it,  in  order  that 
he  might  cover  it  over  them.  But  God  sent  the  hudhud 
(lapwing)  down  upon  it,  and  with  him  the  (other)  birds,  and 
they  set  to  picking  it  with  their  beaks,  until  a  hole  was  cut 
in  the  rock  and  it  was  pierced  through,  and  then  it  fell 
around  the  neck  of  'Ug.  the  son  of  'Anaq,  and  collared  him 
and  threw  him  down.  Then  Musa  approached — now  he  was 
ten  cubits  tall  and  his  staff  was  ten  cubits  in  length — and  he 
leaped  upwards  ten  cubits,  and  hit  nothing  of  him  but  his 
ankle;  for  he  was  hurled  into  the  ground,  and  he  killed  him, 
they  say.     And  a  mighty  crowd  drew  near  and  with  their 


138      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

swords  labored  away  until  they  had  carved  up  his  head,  Now 
when  he  was  killed  he  fell  upon  the  Nil  of  Misr  (Nile  of 
Egypt)  and  rendered  it  red  for  the  space  of  a  year.  His 
mother  was  'Anaq,  and  she  was  one  of  the  daughters  of 
Adam,  of  his  own  loins;  and  it  is  said  that  she  was  the  first 
harlot  upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  the  length  of  each  of 
her  fingers  was  three  cubits,  and  the  breadth  two  cubits,  and 
on  each  finger  were  two  pointed  nails  like  two  pruning-hooks. 
....  And  when  'Ug  encountered  the  companions  of  Mush, 
he  filled  them  with  apprehension;  now  there  was  on  his  head 
a  bundle  of  wood,  and  he  took  the  twelve  chiefs  and  placed 
them  in  his  bundle  and  carried  them  away  to  his  wife,  and 
said  to  her:  Look  upon  these  who  assert  that  they  desire  our 
death.  And  he  flung  them  down  before  her,  and  said: 
Verily,  I  will  crush  them  to  powder  with  my  foot.  But  his 
wife  said  to  him:  Do  it  not,  but  rather  let  them  go  free,  that 
they  may  tell  unto  their  companions  what  they  have  seen. 
And  he  did  this  and  set  them  free.  And  they  (the  spies)  set 
about  obtaining  knowledge  of  their  (Og  and  his  people's)  cir- 
cumstances. Now  a  bunch  of  their  grapes  could  scarcely  be 
carried  by  five  persons  on  a  stick  of  timber  between  them, 
and  there  could  get  into  the  rind  of  a  pomegranate,  after  the 
seeds  had  been  taken  out,  four  or  five  people." 

In  connection  with  certain  phases  of  the  abovie  story  com- 
pare the  statements  found  in  Numbers,  xiii.  22,  23,  28,  33. 

Note  7,  Page  14. 

Qariin  the  son  of  the  uncle  of  Hariin.  It  is  important  to 
remark  that  the  Samaritan  copy  of  the  Pentateuch  differs 
materially  from  the  received  Jewish  Massoretic  text  in 
Num.  xxvi.  10,  where  the  manner  of  Korah's  death  is  referred 
to,  the  latter  plainly  implying  that  the  earth  swallowed  him 
up  with  Dathan  and  Abiram  and  their  company;  while  the 
former  explicitly  states  that  he  was  consumed  by  the  fire 
of  the  Lord  in  the  company  of  the  two  hundred  and  fifty 
Levites  of  his  own  tribe,  for  it  here  reads  :  "and  the  earth 
opened  her  mouth,  and  the  earth  swallowed  them  up,  when 
that  company  died;  at  the  time  the  fire  devoured  Korah  and 
the  two  hundred  and  fifty  men;  and  they  became  a  sign." 
With  this  Josephus  coincides  (Ant.  bk.  iv.  chap.  3). 

The  Mohammedan  legends  about  Korah  are  too  volumi- 
nous to  be  quoted  in  full;  a  brief  summary  of  the  more  inter- 
esting ones  as  are  found  in  the  Kisas  el-ambii/d,  is  all  that 
can  be  inserted  here.  It  is  said  that  he  was  the  most 
learned  of  the  children  of  Israel  after  Moses  and  Aaron,  and 
the  richest  ami  most  handsome  of  them,  and  was  called  el- 
Munawwar  (the  splendid),  because  of  the  beauty  of  his  per- 
sonal appearance,  and  that  he  was  possessed  of  fabulous 
wealth.  There  was  no  one  among  the  children  of  Israel 
better  versed  in  the  Law  than  he,  but  he  was  the  enemy  of 
God  and  excessively  given  to  trafficking  and  merchandizing, 
and  behaved  insolently  towards  His  people  (cf.  Koran,  sura 
28).     Some  say  that  he  was  appointed  by  Pharaoh  governor 


NOTES,  139 

over  the  children  of  Israel  when  they  were  in  Egypt,  and,  by 
tyrannizing  over  them,  increased  in  wealth  and  prideand  pomp, 
and  acquired  such  vast  wealth  that  the  very  keys  of  his 
treasuries  were  a  load  for  many  strong  men,  some  of  the 
authorities  state  that  they  were  a  sufficient  load  for  seventy 
men,  and  one  authority  goes  so  far  as  to  say  that  they  were 
a  load  for  sixty  mules;  these  keys,  it  is  said,  Korah  always 
carried  along  with  him  wherever  he  went,  and  it  required 
forty  mules  to  transport  them.  There  is  considerable  dis- 
agreement as  to  how  he  obtained  all  this  wealth;  it  is  said, 
he  was  skilled  in  alchemy.  The  story  runs  thus  :  Moses 
was  fully  educated  in  the  science  of  alchemy,  and  Joshua 
knew  a  "third  part  of  that  science,  as  did  also  Caleb  and 
Korah,  and  Korah  outwitted  these  latter  two  and  added  their 
knowledge  unto  his  own,  and  through  tins  gained  his  great 
wealth;  though  another  account  is,  that  God  instructed 
Moses  in  alchemy,  and  lie  instructed  his  sister,  and  she  in- 
structed Korah.  Some  say,  however,  that  once  when  Korah 
had  remained  on  a  mountain  forty  years  worshipping,  and  had 
surpassed  all  the  children  of  Israel  in  worship,  Iblis  sent 
unto  him  his  devils,  but  they  were  powerless  over  him,  so  he 
came  unto  him  himself,  and  set  to  worshipping  with  Korah, 
and  began  to  restrain  him  in  his  worship,  and  got  the  power 
over  him,  and  by  subtle  arguments  seduced  him;  and  when 
Korah  finally  yielded,  Iblis  sat  down  and  opened  up  to  him 
the  doors  of  the  world,  and  thus  it  was  that  he  obtained  his 
riches.  Others  yet,  contend  that  he  found  out  the  treasures 
of  Joseph  in  Egypt;  (See  Sale's  Koran,  chap.  28,  note;  and 
in  this  connection  compare  what  the  Targum  of  Jonathan 
on  Numbers  xvi.  19,  says  in  regard  to  his  having  found  the 
treasures  of  Joseph.)  His  wealth  was  so  vast  and  his  opti- 
lency  so  great,  that  the  riches  of  Korah  have  become  a  pro- 
verb; but  he  behaved  insolently  and  went  beyond  all  bounds 
in  injustice,  and  grew  haughty  and  proud  towards  men  by 
reason  of  his  wealth.  And  he  used  to  ride  forth  in  his  pomp 
and  dign'ty  on  a  white  animal  which  had  a  purple  saddle 
with  saffron  trimmings,  and  with  him  went  forth  seventy 
thousand  persons  clothed  in  saffron  robes — and  that  was  the 
first  time  saffron  robes  were  seen  on  the  earth.  Some  say  he 
used  to  ride  on  an  ash-colored  mule,  upon  which  was  a  saddle 
of  gold,  and  he  himself  clothed  in  purple,  and  attended  by  a 
thousand  purple-clad  horsemen,  and  six  hundred  white  slave- 
girls  wearing  ornaments  and  red  garments  and  riding  ash- 
colored  mules.  And  this  ostentatious  pomp  of  his  was  the 
first  of  his  revolt  and  rebellion.  And  God  revealed  to  His 
prophet  Moses,  to  command  his  people,  "to  hang  on  their 
robes  fonr  threads,  on  each  border  a  thread  of  dark  color  like 
the  color  of  the  heavens;  "  but  Korah  was  haughty  and  did 
not  obey  him.  And  this  also  was  a  part  of  his  rebellion  and 
sedition,  (cf.  Tco-f/um  onSnm.  xvi.  1,  where  we  read:  "And 

Korah took  his  robe,  which  was  of  violet,  (and 

with  his  followers)  ro.se  up  impudently  and  appointed  in  oppo- 
sition to  Moses,  a  different  observance  in  the  matter  of  the 


140       THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

violet.  Moses  bad  said,  I  have  heard  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Holy  One — may  His  name  be  blessed— that  the  fringes  are  to 
be  of  white,  with  one  thread  of  violet  therein ;  but  Korah 
and  his  companions  made  garments  the  fringes  of  which  were 
altogether  of  violet,  a  thing  the  Lord  had  not  commanded." 
See  Num.  xv.  37-41.  After  this  Korah  became  envious  of 
Aaron's  having  the  chief  priesthood,  and  complained  to 
Moses  that  he  had  nothing,  though  he  was  the  best  versed  in 
the  Law;  to  this  Moses  replied  that  it  was  God's  doing  and 
not  his  own  that  Aaron  had  the  office.  Korah  forthwith 
demanded  proof  that  such  was  the  case,  and  in  compliance 
Moses  had  the  chiefs  of  the  children  of  Israel  fetch  their  rods 
with  their  names  written  on  them,  and  having  placed  them 
in  the  tabernacle  before  God,  they  were  carefully  guarded 
until  in  due  time  it  was  found  that  the  rod  of  Aaron  had 
budded.  But  Korah  charged  Moses  with  having  effected  this 
by  magic,  !tnd  still  refused  to  grant  him  obedience  ;  and 
though  Moses  treated  him  kindly  because  of  the  kinship  that 
existed  between  them,  he  did  all  he  could  to  injure  Moses, 
and  did  nothing  else  but  increase  in  haughtiness  and  pride 
and  insolence  and  enmity  against  him,  until  he  built  for  him- 
self a  mansion  and  made  its  door  of  red  gold  and  plated  its 
walls  with  sheets  of  gold,  and  hobnobbed  with  the  nobility. 
And  now  God,  through  Moses,  laid  upon  them  the  duty  of 
alms-giving;  and  Korah  came  unto  Moses  and  agreed  to  give 
one  thing  of  every  thousand  he  possessed,  but  upon  his  going 
home  and  reckoning  this  up,  it  amounted  to  such  a  vast 
amount,  that  he  could  not  reconcile  himself  to  giving  it,  and 
he  proceeded  to  institute  a  revolt  among  the  people,  and  laid 
a  plot  against  Moses,  and  suborned  a  bad  woman  to  accuse 
him  of  having  committed  adultery  with  her.  And  it  came 
to  pass  upon  a  certain  occasion  when  Moses  was  delivering  a 
homily  against  various  sins,  among  which  was  mentioned 
adultery,  that  Korah  arose  and  publicly  charged  him  with 
being  guilty  of  this  very  sin;  and  Moses  demanded  that  the 
woman  be  immediately  called,  and  when  she  came  into  his 
presence,  he  strictly  charged  her  to  tell  the  truth,  and  upon 
this  her  resolution  failed  her,  and  she  frankly  confessed  that 
Korah  had  suborned  her  to  accuse  Moses  wrongfully,  and  at 
her  words  Korah  hung  down  his  head  and  stood  convicted. 
And  Moses  called  upon  God  to  vindicate  him  before  the 
children  of  Israel;  and  God  indicated  to  him  to  command 
the  earth  and  it  would  obey  him;  and  Moses  ordered  the 
people  to  separate  from  Korah  and  his  companions,  and  then 
he  said  :  O  earth,  seize  them;  and  the  earth  caught  them 
and  began  to  engulf  them,  and  as  Korah  gradually  sank,  he 
humbly  besought  Moses  and  conjured  him  in  the  name  of 
God  to  have  mercy  upon  him,  but  Moses  by  reason  of  his 
great  anger  against  him  did  not  so  much  as  look  at  him. 
And  we  are  told  that  God  each  day  sinks  them  deeper  in  the 
earth,  and  that  they  will  not  reach  its  bottom  till  the  Resur- 
rection Day. 


NOTES.  141 

Note  8,  Page  14. 

Whom  the  cloud  overshadowed  by  day  and  the  pillar  of  fire 
protected  from  cold  hy  night.  The  physical  benefits  and  pro- 
tection which  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  afforded  to  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  in  their  wanderings  in  the  wilderness,  is  referred 
to  more  than  once  in  the  Scriptures.  See  Isaiah  iv.  5,  6; 
Psalm,  cv.  39.  It  is  likewise  mentioned  in  the  Apocrypha. 
See  Wisdom,  x.  17;  xviii.  3;  xix.  7.  And  in  Mohammedan 
writings  this  is  dwelt  upon  as  the  most  important  and  well 
nigh  only  function  that  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  had  to 
perform ;  it  is  so  spoken  of  in  the  Koran  (Sura.  2). 

Note  9,  Page  14. 

From  the  rock.  There  is  a  well-known  Rabbinical  legend 
that  the  water-yielding  rock  followed  the  Israelites  all  about 
in  the  desert,  rolling  like  a  round  beehive  or  barrel  of  stone 
to  the  door  of  the  tent,  and  that  thus  wherever  they  went, 
they  had  abundance  of  water  from  the  self-same  rock.  The 
Mohammedans  likewise  have  the  same  tradition;  they  say, 
that  Moses  was  commanded  to  carry  along  with  him  the  rock, 
and  wherever  an  encampment  was  made  it  was  placed  on  ihe 
ground;  this  rock  is  described  as  being  peculiar  in  its  foun- 
tain, and  as  having  a  significant  sign  upon  it.  It  was  light 
in  weight  and  square  in  shape,  similar  in  size  to  the  head  of 
a  man,  and  was  of  pumice-stone;  and  there  were  in  it  twelve 
springs  (i.  e.,  twelve  holes).  Moses  did  carry  this  in  his 
travelling  wallet,  and  whenever  there  was  need  for  water,  he 
took  it  out  and  struck  it  with  his  rod,  and  there  gushed  forth 
from  every  hole  a  fountain  of  sweet  water,  and  when  the 
people  had  finished  drinking  and  Moses  desired  to  carry  it 
again,  he  struck  it  with  his  rod  and  the  water  disappeared. 
(Kisas  el-anbiynd,  p.  187). 

St.  Paul,  in  all  probability,  had  this  tradition  of  the  Rab- 
bins in  mind,  when  he  says,  in  1  Cor.  x.  4:  "And  did  all 
drink  of  the  same  spiritual  drink,  for  they  drank  of  that 
spiritual  Rock  that  followed  them:  and  "that  Rock  was 
Christ." 

Note  10,  Page  15. 

At  the  completion  of  the  119th  year,  on  the  1st  day  of  the 
11th  month  of  the  life  of  our  master  Musa.  This  exact 
statement  of  the  age  of  Moses  at  this  time  is  not  to  be  found 
in  the  Old  Testament,  but  the  date  of  the  month  as  here 
given  is  mentioned  in  Dent.  i.  3;  though  there  it  is  con- 
nected with  the  fortieth  year  (of  the  wanderings  of  the  Is- 
raelites). In  Dent.  xxxi.  2.  Moses  says:  "  lam  an  hundred 
and  twenty  years  old  this  day,"  and  in  verse  3,  we  read:  "and 
Joshua,  he  shall  go  over  before  thee,  as  the  Lord  hath  said," 
which  indicates  that  Joshua  had  already  been  appointed 
leader,  as  is  stated  in  Num.  xxvii.  18-23.  Our  author  is 
therefore  probably  right  in  put  ting  the  appointment  of  Joshua 
one  month  before  the  death  of   Moses;  for  we  are  told  that 


142      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

the  latter  died  when  he  was  an  hundred  and  twenty  years 
old  (Deut.  xxxiv.  7).  Josephus  in  his  Antiquities  (bk.  iv. 
chap.  8,  sec.  49)  says:  "  Now  Moses  lived  in  all  one  hundred 
and  twenty  years;  a  third  part  of  which,  abating  one  month, 
he  was  the  people's  ruler,"  thus  supporting  the  statement  of 
our  author.  The  oriental  legends  and  traditions  appertain- 
ing to  Moses  are  far  too  numerous  to  be  here  collated,  but 
such  as  desire  to  investigate  them,  will  find  them  in  the 
Koran,  and  Mohammedan  commentaries.  Particularly  to  be 
commended  is  the  Kisas  el-anbiynd  by  el-Thalabi;  those  who 
are  unacquainted  with  Arabic  u  ill  find  valuable,  Sale's  Koran, 
and  his  notes  thereto;  D'Herbelot's  Bibliotheque  Orientate 
(s.  v.  Moussa);  Weil's  Biblische  Legen.de  der  Muselmanner  ; 
Chronique  de  Tabari,  traduite  sur  la  version  Persane  de 
Belami,  par  Zotenberg:  S.  Baring- Gould's  Legends  of  the 
Patriarchs  and  Prophets. 

Note  11,  Page  16. 

The  spiritual  man.  This  expression  applied  to  Joshua,  as 
well  as  the  one  found  in  chap.  xxix.  ("  the  mortal  and  spir- 
itual "),  is  founded  upon  what  is  said  in  Num.  xxvii.  18,  that 
he  was,  "  a  man  in  whom  is  the  spirit." 

Note  12,  Page  16. 

The  profound  secret,  and  reveal  to  him  the  vision  of  his 
dream,  and  the  science  of  knowledge.  The  profound  secret 
here  referred  to  is  that  certain  secret  knowledge  of  God  and 
His  nature  and  works,  which  if  men  were  imbued  with,  they 
were  believed  to  be  then  able  to  bring  about  Divine  acts  and 
miracles.  (Juynboll,  note  ad  hoc  loco.)  By  the  "vision  of 
his  dream,"  is  meant  either,  that  particular  knowledge  which 
had  been  communicated  to  Moses  in  dreams;  or,  that  he 
should  reveal  unto  Joshua  the  knowledge  by  which  he  might 
rightly  interpret  his  own  dreams.  We  read  in  Deut.  xxxiv. 
9,  that  "Joshua  the  son  of  Nun  was  full  of  the  spirit  of 
wisdom;  for  Moses  had  laid  his  hands  upon  him;"  and 
Josephus  to  the  same  effect  says:  "Now  Joshua  had  been 
instructed  in  all  those  kinds  of  learning  which  concerned  the 
laws  and  God  himself,  and  Moses  had  been  his  instructor" 
(Ant.  bk.  iv.  ch.  7).  In  Mohammedan  legends  Joshua  is 
excluded  from  the  rank  of  prophet,  hence  traditions  concern- 
ing him  are  few. 

Note  13,  Page  16. 

The  name.  That  is,  the  Holy  and  Ineffable  name  of  God, 
represented  by  the  four  Hebrew  letters  yhwh;  the  Shein, 
hammephorash  of  the  Jewish  Rabbins,  and  the  Shema  of  the 
Samaritans,  and  the  Greek  Tetragrammaton ;  a  name  the 
mere  utterance  of  which  constituted  a  capital  offence,  accord- 
ing to  the  interpretation  put  upon  the  words  used  in  Num. 
xxiv.  16,  by  the  priests  and  Rabbins.  Marvellous  powers  are 
attributed   to  it,   in   Rabbinic  traditions:    we  are  told  that 


NOTES.  143 

Moses  spent  forty  days  on  Mount  Sinai  in  learning  it  from 
the  angel  Saxael ;  that  he  killed  the  Egyptian  by  simply  utter- 
ing against  him  this  Name;  that  his  rod,  which  it  is  said  he 
obtained  from  Jethro,  had  inscribed  upon  it  this  Name,  and 
through  its  potent  power  he  was  enabled  to  perform  all  his 
wonderful  miracles;  so  revered  was  this  Name  that  it  was 
pronounced  but  once  a  year  by  the  high-priest  on  the  day  of 
Atonement  when  he  entered  the  Holy  of  Ilolies,  and  the 
voice  of  the  high-priest  when  he  uttered  it  was  heard  as  far 
as  Jericho,  and  all  the  priests  and  people  fell  on  the  ground. 
It  is  asserted  that  Jesus  stole  it  from  the  Temple,  and  by 
means  of  it  performed  His  miracles;  it  is  alleged  that  two 
letters  of  this  Name  inscribed  by  a  cabal ist  on  a  tablet  and 
thrown  into  the  sea  raised  the  storm  which  destroyed  the 
fleet  of  Charles  Y.  (A.  D.  1542);  further,  that  if  any  one 
writes  this  Name  on  the  person  of  a  prince,  he  is  sure  of  his 
abiding  favor.  The  true  pronunciation  of  this  word  is  now 
lost,  however,  and  has  been  so  since  the  destruction  of  the 
second  temple;  but  if  any  one  were  able  rightly  and  devoutly 
to  pronounce  it,  he  would  thereby  be  able  to  create  a  world. 

Note  14,  Page  17. 

The  imam.  This  title  is  applied  by  Mohammedans  to  their 
preachers  or  priests  who  officiate  in  the  mosques;  in  the 
larger  mosques  two  imams  officiate;  one  of  them,  called  the 
"Khateeb,"  preaches  and  prays  before  the  congregation  on 
the  Friday;  the  other  is  an  "Imam  Eatib,"  or  ordinary 
imam,  who  recites  the  five  prayers  of  every  day  in  the  mosque, 
at  the  head  of  those  persons  who  may  be  there  at  the  exact 
times  of  those  prayers :  but  in  most  of  the  smaller  mosques 
both  offices  are  performed  by  one  imam.  The  condition  of 
the  imams  is  very  different,  in  most  respects,  from  that  of 
Jewish  or  Christian  priests.  They  have  no  authority  above 
other  persons,  and  do  not  enjoy  any  respect  but  what  their 
reputed  piety  or  learning  may  obtain  for  them ;  nor  are  they 
a  distinct  order  of  men  set  apart  for  religious  offices,  and 
composing  an  indissoluble  fraternity;  for  an  imam  maybe 
displaced  from  office,  and  with  his  employment  and  salary, 
loses  the  title  of  imam.  (Lane's  Modem  Egyptians,  vol.  i, 
page  103).  Our  author,  however,  uses  the  term  throughout 
theChronicle  as  an  equivalent  for  the  Hebrew  Cohen  "priest," 
and  the  same  is  done  also  by  Saadias  in  his  Arabic  version  of 
the  Pentateuch,  though  in  both  the  Arabic  and  Samaritan 
languages  this  identical  word  is  found,  with  only  slight  differ- 
ence of  pronunciation. 

Note  15,  Page  17. 

Bila'dm  the  son  of  B'aur.  Apart  from  the  Scriptural 
record  of  Balaam's  history,  numerous  traditions  exist  con- 
cerning him,  many  of  them  more  or  less  interesting,  and 
some  possessing  quite  possibly  a  substratum  of  truth  handed 
down  from  early  times.     Philo,  a  contemporary  of  Christ, 


144      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

records  this  of  him:  " There  was  a  man  at  that  time  cele- 
brated for  divination,  who  lived  in  Mesopotamia,  and 
was  skilled  in  every  branch  of  the  divining  art.  He  had 
learned  the  greatest  names  {i.e.  names  of  angels  and  of  God, 
potent  In  working  magic),  through  his  knowledge  of  the 
flight  of  birds,  and  did  much  that  was  wonderful  by  their 
means.  He  predicted  rain  in  the  hottest  time  of  summer; 
heat  and  drought  in  the  midst  of  winter;  unfruitfulness 
when  the  fields  were  greenest;  plenty  in  years  of  famine:  and 
the  overflowing  or  drying  up  of  streams;  the  remedies  of 
pestilential  diseases,  and  a  vast  multitude  of  other  things, 
the  foretelling  of  which  got  him  boundless  fame,  which  spread 
even  unto  this."  (Vita  Moysis,  sec.  48).  Josephus  speaks 
of  him  as,  "  the  best  prophet  (or  diviner)  of  his  times 
(Antiq.  iv.  6,  sec.  2.)  And  Origen  speaks  of  Balaam  as  fa- 
mous for  his  skill  in  magic,  and  the  use  of  noxious  incanta- 
tions. (In  Num.  Horn,  xiii.)  The  Targumist  identifies  him 
with  Laban  the  Aramean,  and  says  that  he  became  foolish 
by  reason  of  the  greatness  of  his  wisdom;  that  the  place  of 
his  residence  was  in  Padan,  which  is  Pethor,  so  named  from 
his  name  as  an  interpreter  of  dreams,  and  this  city  was  built 
in  Aram  on  the  Euphrates.  (Jonathan,  Num.  xxii.  5.)  The 
Jewish  Rabbins  hold  that  he  was  one  of  the  principal  coun- 
cillors of  Pharaoh ;  their  traditions  concerning  him  run  thus. 
Originally  he  had  been  in  his  youth  a  servant  of  Angias,  the 
king  of  Dinhabah,  and  had  at  an  early  age  developed  mar- 
vellous skill  in  magic  and  the  arts  of  witchcraft,  and  was  em- 
ployed by  the  king  to  foretell  the  future.  But  when  king 
Angias  was  defeated  and  put  to  rout  in  battle  by  Zepho  the 
king  of  Chittim,  Balaam  forsook  him  and  went  over  to  Zepho, 
by  whom  he  was  received  with  great  honor,  and  immediately 
made  his  chief  diviner  and  magician.  He  now  aided  and 
abetted  Zepho  in  stirring  up  the  Hittites,  Edomites  and 
Ishmaelites  to  make  an  invasion  of  Egypt,  for  the  purpose 
of  taking  vengeance  of  the  Israelites  for  the  defeats  they  had 
inflicted  upon  the  children  of  Esau  in  a  former  war  under 
the  leadership  of  Joseph.  This  expedition,  however,  suffered 
a  complete  defeat,  and  we  find  that  Balaam  returned  with 
Zepho  to  Chittim,  and  there  remained  until  the  death  of 
Zepho,  when  he  departed  from  Chittim  and  came  to  Egypt 
to  Pharaoh,  who  gladly  received  him — for  he  had  heard  of 
his  great  wisdom — and  gave  him  presents  and  exalted  him, 
and  made  him  one  of  his  chief  councillors.  Among  the  num- 
ber of  these  councillors  are  mentioned  Jethro  the  Midianite 
and  Job  the  Uzite  (Balaam  is  strangely  identified,  by  the 
Rabbins,  with  Elihu  the  companion  of  Job.)  Balaam  now 
dwelt  in  Egypt  in  high  honor  with  all  the  nobles  of  the  realm 
who  made  much  of  him,  for  they  coveted  to  learn  his  wis- 
dom. At  this  time  the  children  of  Israel  had  greatly  in- 
creased and  multiplied  in  numbers,  and  the  Egyptians  were 
filled  with  dread  lest  the  Israelites  should  resolve  on  seizing 
upon  the  supremacy  and  should  subjugate  them;  moved  by 
this  fear  Pharaoh,  at  the  advice  of  his  councillors,  instituted 


NOTES.  145 

those  measures  of  oppression  and  persecution  spoken  of  in 
the  first  chapter  of  Exodus.  Five  years  thus  passed,  and  as 
Pharaoh  sat  on  his  throne  one  day  he  fell  asleep,  and  dreamed 
that  he  saw  an  old  man  standing  before  him  holding  a  pair 
of  scales,  and  the  old  man  lifted  up  the  scales  before  Pharaoh, 
and  put  all  the  princes  and  nobles  and  great  men  of  Egypt, 
tied  together,  into  one  scale,  and  he  put  into  the  other  a 
sucking  kid;  and  the  kid  outweighed  all  that  was  in  the  first 
scale.  When  the  king  awoke,  he  was  troubled  at  the  vision 
of  his  dream,  and  called  together  his  wise  men  and  magicians, 
and  rehearsed  unto  them  his  dream,  and  asked  them  the  in- 
terpretation thereof.  And  Balaam,  who,  with  his  sons 
Jannes  and  Jambres,  was  present  at  the  council  answered 
and  said:  This  means  nothing  else  but  that  a  great  evil  will 
spring  up  against  Egypt  in  the  latter  days.  For  a  son  will 
be  born  to  Israel  who  will  destroy  all  Egypt  and  its  inhabi- 
tants, and  bring  forth  the  Israelites  from  Egypt  with  a 
mighty  hand.  Now,  therefore,  O  king,  take  counsel  upon 
this  matter,  that  you  may  destroy  the  hope  of  the  children  of 
Israel  and  their  expectation,  before  this  evil  arise  against 
Egypt.  And  the  king  in  dismay  said:  What  shall  we  do  ? 
All  that  we  have  heretofore  devised  against  this  people  has 
failed.  And  Balaam  suggested  to  Pharaoh,  that  he  ask  the 
opinion  of  his  other  two  chief  councillors  upon  this  matter. 
And  the  king  forthwith  did  so.  Whereupon  Jethro  the 
Midianite  answered  and  said:  May  the  king  live  forever! 
If  it  seem  good  to  the  king,  let  him  cease  from  destroying 
the  Hebrews,  and  desist  from  them,  and  let  him  not  stretch 
forth  his  hand  against  them;  but  if  it  be  thy  will  that  they 
shall  not  dwell  in  Egypt,  send  them  forth  from  here,  that 
they  may  go  to  the  land  of  Canaan,  the  land  where  their  an- 
cestors sojourned.  And  when  Pharaoh  heard  the  words  of 
Jethro  he  was  very  angry  with  him,  so  that  he  rose  with 
shame  from  the  king's  presence,  and  went  to  Midian,  his 
land,  and  took  along  with  him  Joseph's  stick  (which  subse- 
quently became  the  rod  of  Moses.)  Then  the  king  turned  to 
Job  the  Uzite,  and  asked  his  advice.  And  Job  repiied:  Be- 
hold all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  are  in  thy  power,  let  the 
king  do  as  it  seems  good  in  his  eyes.  Lastly  the  king  said  to 
Balaam:  Speak  now  thy  word,  that  we  may  hear  it.  And 
Balaam  said  :  Of  all  that  the  king  has  counselled  against 
the  Hebrews  will  they  be  delivered,  and  the  king  will  not  be 
able  to  prevail  over  them  with  any  counsel.  For  if  thou 
thinkest  to  lessen  them  by  flaming  fire,  thou  canst  not  pre- 
vail over  them;  for  surely  their  God  delivered  Abraham  their 
father  from  the  fire  fTJr)  of  the  Chaldeans.  And  if  thou 
thinkest  to  destroy  them  with  the  sword;  surely  Isaac  their 
father  was  delivered  from  it,  and  a  ram  was  placed  in  his 
stead.  And  if,  with  hard  and  rigorous  labor  thou  thinkest 
to  lessen  them,  thou  wilt  not  prevail  even  in  this;  for  their 
father  Jacob  served  Laban  in  all  manner  of  hard  work,  and 
prospered.  Now  therefore,  O  king,  hear  my  words,  for  this 
is  the  counsel  which  is  counselled  against  them,  by  which 

10 


146      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

thou  wilt  prevail  over  them,  and  from  which  thou  shouldst 
not  depart.  If  it  please  the  king,  let  him  order  all  the  chil- 
dren which  shall  be  born  from  this  day  forward  to  be  thrown 
into  the  water,  for  by  this  canst  thou  wipe  away  their  name; 
for  none  of  them,  nor  of  their  fathers,  were  tried  in  this 
manner.  And  this  counsel  of  Balaam  pleased  Pharaoh  and 
his  princes,  and  the  king  immediately  had  it  carried  out. 
But  God  miraculously  saved  alive  all  the  Hebrew  children 
that  were  thrown  into  the  river.  During  this  time  Moses 
was  born,  and,  when  a  little  babe,  was  rescued  from 
the  river  and  adopted  by  Bathia,  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh; 
and  when  he  was  three  years  old  Bathia  presented  him  be- 
fore the  king  as  he  sat  in  state  one  day,  with  the  queen  sit- 
ting beside  him,  and  Balaam  with  his  two  sons,  and  all  the 
princes  and  wise  men  of  the  realm  waiting  attendance  upon 
the  king.  And  the  child  Moses,  as  he  sat  in  the  lap  of  Bathia 
alongside  of  the  king,  stretched  out  his  hand  and  took  the 
royal  crown  from  the  king's  head,  and  placed  it  upon  his  own 
head.  [Another  version  of  this  tradition  is  that  Pharaoh 
being  pleased  with  the  beauty  of  the  child,  took  him  up  in 
his  arms  and  kissed  him,  and,  to  gratify  his  daughter,  play- 
fully took  the  crown  from  off  his  own  head  and  placed  it  on 
the  head  of  the  youthful  Moses;  but  the  child  eagerly  caught 
at  it,  and  threw  it  on  the  ground,  and,  alighting  from  Phar- 
aoh's knee,  he  danced  round  it  and  finally  trampled  it  under 
his  feet].  At  this  the  king  and  his  council  were  greatly 
shocked;  and  the  king  asked  of  his  councillors,  what  should 
be  the  judgment  against  the  boy  on  account  of  this  act.  And 
Balaam  answered  the  king  before  the  princes,  and  said:  Re- 
member now,  O  my  lord  and  king,  the  dream  which  thou 
didst  dream  many  days  since,  and  that  which  thy  servant  in- 
terpreted unto  thee.  Now,  therefore,  this  is  one  of  the 
Hebrew  children,  in  whom  is  the  spirit  of  God,  and  let  not 
my  lord  the  king  imagine  that  this  young  child  di  1  this  thing 
ignorantly;  for  he  is  a  Hebrew  boy,  and  has  wisdom  and  un- 
derstanding, though  he  be  but  a  child,  and  with  intelligence 
has  he  done  this,  and  chosen  unto  himself  the  kingdom  of 
Egypt.  For  this  is  the  manner  of  all  the  Hebrews  to  deceive 
kings  and  their  nobles, to  do  all  these  things  cunningly,  in  order 
to  make  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  their  men  tremble.  And 
Balaam  proceeded  to  cite  various  examples  of  the  cunning 
and  trickery  practised  by  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  and 
finally  closed  by  saying:  Now  therefore,  my  lord  king,  behold 
this  child  has  risen  up  in  their  stead  in  Egypt,  to  do  according 
to  their  deeds  and  to  act  deceitfully  with  every  king,  prince 
and  judge.  If  it  please  the  king,  let  us  spill  his  blood  upon 
the  ground,  lest  he  grow  up  and  take  away  the  government 
from  thy  hand,  and  the  hope  of  Egypt  perish  after  he  shall 
have  reigned.  But  the  king  hesitated,  and  decided  to  take 
further  counsel;  and  by  the  Providence  of  God  the  life  of 
Moses  was  spared.  When  Moses  grew  up  he  went  frequent- 
ly to  Goshen  to  visit  his  brethren  the  children  of  Israel,  and 
he  observed  how  they  were  oppressed,  and  groaned  under 


NOTES.  147 

their  burdens.  And  he  asked,  wherefore  the  yoke  was  press- 
ed so  heavily  upon  their  necks  ?  And  they  told  him  all,  and 
informed  him  of  the  counsels  which  Balaam  had  counselled 
against  them,  and  also  what  he  had  counselled  against  him  in 
his  infancy,  in  order  to  have  him  put  to  death  when  he  had 
taken  the  king's  crown  from  off  his  head.  And  when  Moses 
heard  these  things  his  affections  were  alienated  from  Pharaoh. 
and  his  anger  was  kindled  against  Balaam,  and  he  was  filled 
with  animosity  toward  him,  and  lay  in  ambush  day  after  day 
seeking  a  chance  to  kill  him.  And  Balaam  perceiving  that 
tlic  young  man  Moses  was  bitter  against  him,  and  being 
afraid  of  his  increasing  power,  departed  with  his  two  sons, 
Jannes  and  Jambres,  and  fled  to  the  land  of  Gush  to  Kikianus, 
king  of  Cush.  And  about  this  time  Kikianus  became  in- 
volved in  a  war  with  his  enemies,  and  when  he  left  his  capi- 
tal city  at  the  head  of  a  mighty  army  to  prosecute  the  war, 
he  left  behind  him  Balaam  as  regent  during  his  absence. 
And  while  the  king  was  away  engaged  in  war,  Balaam  con- 
spired against  him,  and  bewitched  the  people  with  his  en- 
chantments, and  persuaded  them  to  rebel  against  king  Kiki- 
anus, and  refuse  him  admittance  when  he  should  return. 
And  the  people  swore  allegiance  to  Balaam  and  made  him 
king  over  them,  and  his  two  sons  captains  of  the  army;  and 
he  then  set  to  work  strengthening  the  city  on  all  sides.  On 
two  sides  he  raised  immense  walls,  on  the  third  side,  between 
the  Nile  and  the  city,  he  dug  countless  canals  or  ditches, 
into  which  he  let  the  water  rush;  and  on  the  fourth  side  he, 
by  means  of  his  magic  and  enchantment,  assembled  innu- 
merable serpents.  Thus  he  made  the  city  absolutely  impreg- 
nable. When  king  Kikianus  returned  from  the  war,  he  beheld 
his  capital  all  fortified,  and  wondered  thereat;  but  when  he 
was  refused  admittance,  he  knew  that  there  was  treason. 
After  several  unsuccessful  attempts  to  capture  the  city  by  as- 
sault, in  which  he  was  repulsed  with  great  slaughter,  the 
king  then  settled  down  to  a  protracted  siege,  convinced  that 
the  only  hope  of  reducing  the  city  was  by  famine.  While 
Kikianus  was  thus  investing  his  capital  city,  Moses  took 
refuge  in  his  camp— for  he  had  been  compelled  to  flee  for  his 
life  from  Egypt  from  Pharaoh  who  sought  to  kill  him  for 
having  slain  the  Egyptian— and  the  king"  received  him  and 
treated  him  with  honor  and  respect,  and  made  him  one  of 
his  counsellors.  Meanwhile  the  siege  protracted  itself 
through  nine  years,  and  Kikianus  fell  sick  and  died;  there- 
upon the  chief  captains  of  his  army  assembled  to  elect  a 
king,  who  might  carry  on  the  siege  with  energy,  and  re- 
duce the  city  speedily;  for  they  were  weary  of  the  long  in- 
vestment, and  they  unanimously  elected  Moses  to  be  their 
king,  who  was  now  twenty-seven  years  of  age. 

Directly  he  was  crowned  he  put  into  execution  a  stratagem 
for  capturing  the  city  ;  he  ordered  his  soldiers  to  go  into^the 
woods,  and  catch  and  bring  back  as  many  young"  storks  as 
they  could  find,  and  then  to  rear  them  and  teach  them  to  dart 
down  upon  things,  after  the  manner  of  young  hawks.     And 


148       THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

his  people  carried  out  all  his  instructions,  and  when  the  storks 
were  grown  and  well  trained,  he  commanded  that  they  should 
be  starved  for  three  days.  And  when  it  was  the  third  day, 
he  marshalled  his  army  in  battle  array  opposite  the  side  of  the 
city  where  the  serpents  were,  and  then  ordered  his  men  to 
let  loose  the  storks  ;  and  they  did  so,  and  the  storks  flew  up 
into  the  air,  and  spied  the  serpents,  and  pounced  down  upon 
them,  and  before  the  serpents  could  flee  to  their  -holes  they 
devoured  and  destroyed  them  all.  Thereupon  the  army  raised 
a  great  shout,  and  charged  against  the  city,  and  took  it  by 
storm,  and  put  the  inhabitants  to  the  sword,  yet  not  one  of 
the  besieging  army  was  slain.  And  when  Balaam  saw  that 
the  city  was  taken,  he  opened  the  gate,  and  he  and  his  two 
sons  and  eight  brothers  made  their  escape,  riding  upon  a  cloud, 
and  returned  to  Egypt  to  king  Pharaoh,  and  they  were  the 
sorcerers  and  magicians  who  are  mentioned  in  the  book  of 
the  law,  as  withstanding  Moses  when  the  Lord  brought  the 
plagues  upon  Egypt.  When  the  plague  of  "  grievous  hail  " 
smote  the  land  of  Egypt,  Balaam  is  said  to  have  disregarded 
the  words  of  warning  Moses  uttered,  and  left  his  cattle  out  of 
dooi's  and  unprotected,  and  they  were  all  destroyed  by  the 
hail.  Some  time  after  this  Balaam  departed  from  Egypt  and 
took  up  his  residence  in  Mesopotamia.  And  in  the  thirty-sixth 
year  of  the  children  of  Israel's  departure  from  Egypt,  Sihon 
king  of  the  Amorites  got  into  a  war  with  the  children  of 
Moab,  and  he  sent  messengers  unto  Beor  and  Balaam  his  son, 
who  were  then  living  in  Pethor  in  Mesopotamia,  to  get  them 
to  come  and  curse  Moab  in  order  that  he  might  gain  the  vic- 
tory over  it.  And,  in  compliance  with  the  request,  Beor  and 
Balaam  his  son  came  to  the  city  of  Sihon,  and  cursed  the 
Moabites  and  their  king  ;  and  thereupon  Sihon  confidently 
went  forth  to  battle  with  the  Moabites,  and  the  Lord  deliv- 
ered them  into  his  hands,  and  he  slew  the  king  of  Moab,  and 
took  possession  of  all  their  cities,  and  likewise  took  Hesh- 
bon  from  them.  Wherefore  Beor  and  Balaam  his  son,  the 
proverb  speakers,  uttered  these  words,  saying  :  "  Come  unto 
Heshbon,  let  the  city  of  Sihon  be  built  and  established. 
Woe  unto  thee,  Moab  !  thou  art  undone,  O  people  of  Che- 
mosh."  ^ura.  xxi.  27,  29.) 

As  to  his  person,  Balaam  is  represented  as  being  lame,  and 
it  is  said  he  squinted,  or  was  blind  of  an  eye.  Such  in  brief 
is  the  Rabbinic  legendary  history  of  Balaam,  up  to  the  period 
of  his  life  when  we  find  him  associated  with  Balak.  (Sepher 
ha-Jasher.  See  S.  Baring-Gould's  Legends  of  the  Patri.  and 
Proph.). 

Mohammedan  traditions  add  comparatively  little  to  the 
above,  they,  however,  state  that  Balaam  was  the  son  of  Ba'ura 
the  son  of  Ba'ar  the  son  of  Aid  the  son  of  Marat  the  son  of 
Lut  (Lot),  and  was  a  Canaanite  of  the  city  of  Balqa,  a  city  of 
the  giants  (Anakim),  and  that  he  read  the  books  of  Abraham, 
where  he  got  the  name  of  God,  (Jehovah),  by  virtue  of  which 
he  predicted  the  future,  and  obtained  from  God  whatever  he 
asked;  this  procured  him  renown  far  and  wide.     He  is  said  to 


NOTES.  149 

have  been  one  who  "answered  the  call,"  that  is,  professed 
the  religion  of  the  true  God,  but  in  consequence,  however,  of 
his  prevarication,  God  became  angry  with  him,  and  left  him 
to  himself,  so  that  he  fell  into  infidelity.  He  is  supposed  to 
be  mentioned  in  the  Koran  (Sura.  vii.).  By  many  Balaam 
has  been  identified  with  the  Arabic  wise  man  Lokman,  the 
iEsop  of  the  East. 

Note  16,  Page  21. 

His  very  Command.  This  corresponds  very  nearly  to  the 
use  of  Memra  ("the  Word")  in  place  of  the  name  Jehovah 
by  the  Targumists.  Our  author  specifies  it,  a  few  lines 
further  on,  as  meaning  the  '"Agent,"  or  "Agency  of  the 
Creator."  In  the  Talmud,  we  read,  that  one  of  the  names 
applied  in  Scripture  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  "Command.1' 
(See  Deusch's  Art.  Islam,  in  the  Quarterly  Rev.  Oct.  18G9, 
page  293.). 

Note  17,  Page  21. 

The  companion  of  BilcC  am.  In  Num.  xxii.  22,  we  are  told 
that,  "his  two  servants  were  with  him,"  and  these  Jewish 
tradition  state  were  his  two  sons  Jannes  and  Jambres.  (Tar- 
gum  of  Jonathan).  The  Mohammedan  story  oi  how  Balaam 
was  induced  to  accompany  the  messengers  is,  that  when  the 
people  found  that  Balaam,  in  obedience  to  the  command  of 
God,  refused  to  go  with  them,  the  judges  of  the  people  came 
together  and  laid  a  plan  to  bribe  his  wife;  for  they  say,  she 
was  a  holy  person  (fakir),  and  he  was  wont  to  listen  to  her 
advice;  and  ten  nobles  were  sent  unto  her.  each  one  carry- 
ing a  gold  dish  full  of  coin,  and,  when  they  presented  these 
to  her,  she  came  to  Balaam  and  importuned  him,  saying: 
Return  again  unto  thy  Lord,  and  ask  him  to  allow  thee  to 
aid  them,  and  invoke  against  their  enemies.  And  she  ceased 
not  until  lie  consented.  But  no  answer  was  vouchsafed  unto 
him.  Thereupon  his  wife  said  to  him:  Verily  thy  Lord  has 
left  to  thee  the  choice  in  the  matter  of  invoking  against  them, 
for  if  He  allowed  thee  not,  certainly  He  had  expressly  inter- 
dicted thee.  And  upon  this  he  mounted  his  ass,  and  rode 
away  with  them.     (Kisas  el-anbiyd,  page  181.). 

Note  18,  Page  21. 

A  place  between  walls  in  a  field.  Rather  singularly  the 
Targum  of  Jonathan  has  here  the  following:  "  And  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  stood  in  a  narrow  path  that  was  in  the  midst 
between  the  vineyards,  in  the  place  where  Jacob  and  Laban 
raised  the  mound,  thepillaron  this  side  and  the  watch-tower 
on  that  side,  that  neither  should  pass  the  limit  to  do  evil  to 
the  other."     (Of.  Gen.  xxxi.  51). 

Note  19,  Page  22. 

God  put  speech  on  the  tongue  of  the  animal.  The  Rabbins 
hold  that  there  were  ten  things  created  after  the  founding 
of  the  world  at  the  coming  in  of  the  Sabbath  between  sunset 


150      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

and  sunrise,  to  wit — the  manna;  the  well;  the  rod  of  Moses; 
the  worm  Shamir;  the  rainbow;  the  cloud  of  glory;  the 
mouth  of  the  earth;  the  writing  on  the  tables  of  the  cove- 
nant; the  demons;  and  the  speaking  mouth  of  the  ass. 
{Tar gum,  Jon.). 

Note  20,  Page  23. 

And  he  turned  away  the  evil  eye  from  them.  A  belief  in 
the  baneful  influence  and  power  of  the  "evil  eye"  is  well 
nigh  universal  in  the  East,  and  dates  from  an  early  antiquity; 
that  the  Hebrews  likewise  believed  in  this,  is  shown  bjr  such 
passages  as  Prov.  xxiii.6;  xxviii.22;  Mark,  vii.  22,  &c.  As 
to  the  perpetual  dread  and  fear  the  modern  Orientals  have  of 
it,  and  the  charms  and  other  means  they  resort  to,  to  coun- 
teract and  ward  off  its  noxious  influence  see  Lane's  Modern 
Egyptians. 

Note  21,  Page  25. 

And  the  kings  did  what  he  recommended  unto  them.  Ln 
the  account  of  the  children  of  Israel's  falling  into  sin  through 
the  daughters  of  Moab,  as  related  in  Num.  xxv.  Balaam  is 
not  mentioned  as  connected  in  any  wise  with  the  event;  but 
that  he  was  at  the  bottom  of  it  and  instigated  the  Moabites 
thereto  is  indisputably  proved  by  the  frequent  references  to 
it  in  Scriptures  directly  connecting  him  with  it;  see  Num. 
xxxi.  16;  Rev.  ii.  14.  The  circumstances  attending  Balaam's 
counseling  this  plot  are  more  or  less  fully  dwelt  upon  by 
various  profane  authors,  all,  however,  substantially  agreeing, 
in  the  main  facts,  with  the  account  here  found.  Josephus 
says:  "Balak  being  very  angry  that  the  Israelites  were  not 
cursed,  sent  away  Balaam,  witi.  >ut  thinking  him  worthy  of 
any  honor.  Whereupon,  when  he  was  just  upon  his  journey, 
in  order  to  pass  the  Euphrates,  he  sent  for  Balak  and  for  the 
princes  of  the  Midianites,  and  spake  thus  to  them;  '  O  Balak, 
and  you  Midianites  that  are  here  present;  for  I  am  obliged, 
even  without  the  will  of  God,  to  gratify  you.  It  is  true,  no 
entire  destruction  can  seize  upon  the  nation  of  the  Hebrews, 
neither  by  war,  nor  by  plague,  nor  by  scarcity  of  the  fruits 
of  the  earth;  nor  can  any  other  unexpected  accident  be  their 
entire  ruin;  for  the  providence  of  God  is  concerned  to  pre- 
serve them  from  such  a  misfortune,  nor  will  it  permit  any 
such  calamity  to  come  upon  them,  whereby  they  may  all 
perish.  But  some  small  misfortunes,  and  those  for  a  short 
time,  whereby  they  may  appear  to  be  brought  low,  may  be- 
fall them.  But  after  that  they  will  flourish  again, to  the  terror 
of  those  that  brought  those  mischiefs  upon  them.  So  that 
if  you  have  a  mind  to  gain  a  victory  over  \  hem  for  a  short 
space  of  time,  you  wil'  obtain  it  by  following  my  directions. 
Do  you  therefore  set  out  the  handsomest  of  such  of  your 
daughters  as  are  most  eminent  for  beauty,  and  proper  to  force 
and  conquer  the  modesty  of  ihose  that  behold  them,  and 
these  decked  and  1  rimmed  to  the  highest  degree  you  are  able. 
Then  do  you  send  them  to  be  near  the  Israelites'  camp,  and 
give  them  in  charge,  that  when  the  young  men  of  the  He- 


NOTES.  151 

brews  desire  their  company,  they  allow  it  them.  And  when 
they  see  that  they  are  enamored  of  them,  let  them  take 
their  departure;  if  they  entreat  them  to  stay,  let  them  not 
give  their  consent,  till  they  have  persuaded  them  to  leave  off 
their  obedience  to  their  own  laws,  and  the  worship  of  that 
God  who  established  them,  and  to  worship  the  gods  of  the 
Midianites  and  Moabites;  for  by  this  means  God  will  be 
angry  at  them."  (Antiq.  bk.  iv.  chap.  6.).  TheTargumist's 
account  is  very  brief,  it  is  simply  stated  that:  Balak,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  counsel  of  wicked  Balaam,  established  the 
daughters  of  Midian  in  booth-stalls  at  Beth  Jeshimoth,  by 
the  snow  mountain,  and  they  there  sold  various  kinds  of 
cakes  for  less  than  their  price;  and  in  the  trafficking  that 
ensued  they  seduced  and  led  into  idolatry  the  Israelites. 
(Targ.  of  Jon.).  The  Mohammedan  story  is  as  follows: 
Balaam,  when  he  found  that  he  could  not  invoke  against  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  after  he  had  said,  Woe  unto  you! 
this  (Moses)  is  the  prophet  of  God,  and  with  him  are  the 
angels  and  the  faithful,  addressed  his  people,  saying:  The 
world  and  the  future  has  gone  to  me,  and  nothing  now  re- 
mains except  stratagem  and  artifice,  so  I  will  give  unto  you 
command  and  make  use  of  stratagem.  Prepare  women,  and 
adorn  them  and  give  them  wares,  and  send  them  to  the  en- 
campment of  the  Israelites  to  sell  and  buy  in  it,  and  com- 
mand them  that,  no  woman  shall  hold  herself  back  from 
letting  a  man  do  with  her  as  he  will;  for,  verily,  if  a  man  of 
them  commit  fornication,  ye  will  have  accomplished  enough 
for  their  destruction.     And  they  did  this.     (Kisas  el-anbiyd.) 

Note  22,  Page  25. 

The  chief  of  the  tribe  of  Shim'aun.  In  Num.  ii.  12  and  13, 
we  read  that  the  captain  of  the  tribe  of  Simeon  was  Shel- 
umiel  the  son  of  Zurishaddai,  and  his  host  was  fifty-nine 
thousand  and  three  hundred,  and  in  Num.  xxv.  14,  that, 
"  the  name  of  the  Israelite  that  was  slain  with  the  Midiani- 
tish  woman,  was  Zimri,  the  son  of  Salu,  a  prince  of  a  chief 
house  among  the  Simeonites."  Josephus,  the  Rabbins  and 
Mohammedan  writers  all  relate  quite  a  lengthy  conversation 
as  having  taken  place  between  Moses  and  Zimri,  at  the  time 
the  latter  took  unto  himself  the  Midianitish  princess. 

Note  23,  Page  25. 

The  daughter  of  the  king.  In  Num.  xxv.  15,  we  find  it 
stated  that,  she  was  named  Cozbi,  and  was  the  daughter  of 
Zur  who  was  head  over  a  people,  and  of  a  chief  house  in 
Midian;  and  in  Num.  xxxi.  8,  Zur,  we  are  informed,  was  one 
of  the  five  kings  of  Midian  slain  by  the  children  of  Israel. 

Note  24,  Page  25. 

Four  thousand  men.  Possibly  the  text  here  is  faulty,  and 
through  carelessness  the  word  "  twenty  "  has  been  omitted, 


1&2       THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

and  should  read  "twenty-four  thousand"  in  place  of  "four 
thousand;  "  for  we  read  above  that  twenty-four  thousand  girls 
were  sent  to  the  camp  by  the  Midianites,  and  in  Num.  xxv. 
9,  we  are  told  that, '.'  those  that  died  in  the  plague  were  twenty 
and  four  thousand."  But  on  the  other  hand  St.  Paul  gives 
the  number  as  "  twenty-th/ee  thousand"  (1  Cor.  x.  8.). 
Josephussays  "  fourteen  thousand  "  (Antlq.  iv.  6.),  and  the 
Mohammedans  swell  it  to  "  seventy  thousand  in  one  mo- 
ment "  (Kisas  el-ambiyd ) ;  so  our  author  may  have  inten- 
tionally, for  some  reason,  put  it  at  "  four  thousand  "  as  it 
now  stands. 

Note  25,  Page  25. 

Finahas  (Phinehas)  the  imam.  The  memory  of  Phinehas 
is  greatly  revered  among  the  Jews  and  Samaritans,  espe- 
cially the  latter,  whose  priests  fondly  speak  of  him  as  "  our 
father"  and  proudly  boast  that  they  preserve  the  unbroken 
succession  in  the  priesthood  from  him,  under  the  covenant 
that  God  made  with  him  (Num.  xxv.  13).  The  Eabbis  iden- 
t  if y  his  maternal  grandfather,  Putiel,  with  Jethro,  the  Mid- 
ianite,  and  bring  this  forward  as  adding  greater  lustre  to  his 
zeal  against  Midian,  and  enhancing  his  glorious  destiny. 
They  moreover  identify  Phinehas  with  "the  prophet"  of 
Judg.  vi.  8;  and  also  ascribe  unto  him  the  verse  which  closes 
the  book  of  Joshua.  In  the  Targum  of  Jon.  (Num.  xxv.) 
the  slaughter  of  Zimri  and  Cozbi  is  accompanied  by  twelve 
miracles,  and  the  covenant  made  with  Phinehas  is  expanded 
into  a  promise,  that  he  shall  be  "the  angel  of  the  covenant, 
shall  live  forever,  and  shall  proclaim  redemption  at  the  end 
of  the  world." 

Note  26,  Page  26. 

He  commanded  TusM  the  son  of  Nun.  In  the  Biblical 
account  of  this  expedition  Joshua  is  not  spoken  of  as  com- 
manding it,  though  it  is  true  he  had  already,  previous  to 
this,  been  appointed  by  Moses  as  his  successor  in  the  leader- 
ship of  the  children  of  Israel.  Phinehas  alone  is  mentioned 
as  going  forth  with  the  troops  in  the  war  against  Midian, 
not,  however,  in  the  capacity  of  military  leader,  but  rather 
as  the  priest  with  the  paraphernalia  of  his  office;  for  it  did 
not  belong  to  the  priestly  office  to  conduct  armies,  (Num. 
xxxi.  6.),  it  is  therefore  highly  probable  that  Joshua  was  in 
fact  the  general-in-chief  in  this  war. 

Note  27,  Page  27. 

They  cried  out  the  Law  against  him,  and  put  him  to  death. 
The  law  here  invoked  against  Balaam  is  probably  that  found 
in  Deut.  xviii.  10,  11,  12.  In  the  Targum  is  to  be  found  the 
following  strange  story  about  the  circumstances  connected 
with  the  death  of  Balaam:  "  And  it  came  to  pass,  that 
when  the  guilty  Balaam  beheld  Phinehas  the  priest  pursuing 
after  him,  he  made  use  of  a  magic  spell  and  flew  up  into 


NOTES.  153 

the  air  of  heaven.  Immediately  Phinehas  pronounced  the 
great  and  holy  Name,  and  flew  up  after  him,  and  seized  him 
by  his  head  and  hurling  him  down,  drew  his  sword  and 
wished  to  put  him  to  death;  but  he  opened  his  mouth  with 
words  of  supplication,  and  said  to  Phinehas:  If  thou  wilt 
preserve  my  life,  I  swear  unto  thee  that  during  all  the  days 
that  I  may  live,  I  will  not  curse  thy  people.  Phinehas  an- 
swered and  said  unto  him:  Art  thou  not  Laban  the  Ara- 
mean,  who  desired  to  destroy  our  father  Jacob,  and  went 
down  to  Egypt  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  his  seed,  and 
after  they  hud  come  forth  from  Egypt,  stirred  up  against  them 
wicked  Amalek,  and  art  now  even  aroused  to  curse  them  ? 
And  when  thou  didst  perceive  that  thy  works  availed  naught, 
and  that  the  Word  of  the  Lord  hearkened  not  unto  thee,  thou 
didst  give  wicked  counsel  unto  Balak,  to  establish  his  daugh- 
ters at  the  cross-roads  to  seduce  them,  and  there  fell  of  them 
through  this  cause  twenty-four  thousand.  Wherefore  it  is 
impossible  to  longer  preserve  thy  life.  And  forthwith  he 
drew  his  sword  from  its  sheath  and  killed  him."  (Pseudo- 
Jon.  Num.  xxxiii.  8.). 

Note  28,  Page  30. 

The  deluge  of  fire,  and  the  day  of  vengeance  and  reward. 
The  destruction  of  the  world  by  fire,  and  the  final  Judgment 
Day,  is  believed  in  alike  by  Jews,  Samaritans,  Christians  and 
Moslems.  The  words  "deluge  of  fire  "  are  here  used  ante- 
thetically  to  the  former  deluge  of  water  that  destroyed  the 
world.  In  the  N.  T.  we  find  St.  Peter  makes  use  of  the  same 
comparison  :  "  Whereby  the  world  that  then  was,  being 
overflowed  with  water,  perished;  but  the  heavens  and  the 
earth,  which  are  now,  by  the  same  word  are  kept  in  store, 
reserved  unto  fire  against  the  day  of  judgment."  (2  Pet.  iii. 
6,7.) 

Note  29,  Page  30. 

Defined  the  time  of  his  return  unto  them.  The  Samaritans 
hold  to  the  belief  that  in  the  fullness  of  time  the  spirit  of 
Moses  will  descend  from  heaven  and  take  another  body  and 
reign  over  all  nations.  Such  is  their  doctrine  as  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  expected  Messiah,  whom  they  call  el-Muhdy 
(the  Guide). 

Note  30,  Page  31. 

A  pillar  of  divine  fire  descended.  The  tradition  as 

preserved  by  Josephus,  touching  the  incidents  connected  with 
Moses'  death,  is  strikingly  similar  to  the  one  here  recorded, 
he  says:  "  Now  as  he  went  thence  to  the  place  where  he  was 
to  vanish  out  of  their  sight,  they  all  followed  after  him  weep- 
ing; but  Moses  beckoned  with  his  hand  to  those  that  were 
remote  from  him,  and  bid  them  stay  behind  in  quiet,  while  he 
exhorted  those  that  were  near  to  him  that  they  would  not 
render  his  departure  so  lamentable.   Whereupon  they  thought 


154      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

they  ought  to  grant  him  that  favor,  to  let  him  depart  accord- 
ing as  he  himself  desired,  so  they  restrained  themselves, 
though  weeping  still  towards  one  another.  All  that  now 
accompanied  him  were  the  elders,  and  Eleazar  the  high  priest, 
and  Joshua  their  commander.  And  as  soon  as  they  were 
come  to  the  mountain  called  Abarim,  he  dismissed  the  elders, 
and  then  as  he  was  embracing  Eleazar  and  Joshua,  and  still 
speaking  to  them,  a  cloud  suddenly  stood  over  him,  and  he 
vanished  in  a  deep  valley."  (Antiq.  bk.  iv.  chap.  8,  sec. 
49). 

Note  31,  Page  31. 

Where  is  one  who  brought  to  life  the  dead. .....  besides  thee  ? 

In  the  Bible  we  find  no  intimation  that  Moses  ever  performed 
any  such  miracle  as  bringing  to  life  the  dead,  yet  the  Samari- 
tans here,  as  well  as  in  their  religious  hymns,  attribute  to  him 
the  exercise  of  this  miraculous  power.  There  is  a  legend  of 
the  Moslems,  recorded  by  Tabari,  to  the  effect  that,  when 
Moses  went  up  into  Mount  Sinai  to  receive  the  Tables  of  the 
Commandments,  he  took  with  him  the  seventy  elders,  and  on 
the  Mount  a  cloud  came  down  and  enveloped  Moses,  and  hid 
him  wholly  from  their  view;  and  when  he  had  received  the 
Commandments,  and  came  forth  out  of  the  cloud  unto  them, 
the  elders  murmured  that  they  had  not  also  received  the  rev- 
elation, whereupon  the  cloud  enveloped  them  also,  and  they 
heard  all  the  words  that  had  been  spoken  to  Moses.  Then 
the  wrath  of  G-od  blazed  forth,  and  a  thundering  was  heard 
bo  great  and  terrible  that  they  fainted  and  died.  But  Moses 
feared,  and  he  prayed  to  God,  and  the  seventy  men  were  re- 
stored to  life  again,  and  came  down  the  Mount  with  him. 

Note  32,  Page  32. 

Fasted  120  days,  including  the  nights.  The  Samaritans 
along  with  the  Jews  believe  that  Moses  was  three  separate 
times  with  God  in  the  Mount  for  the  space  of  forty  days  and 
nights,  and  in  support  of  this,  they  cite  Ex.  xxxii.  30,  31  ; 
Deut.  ixc  9,  18    25. 

Note  33,  Page  33. 

O  one  who  killed  the  NU  with  his  rod!  This  has  reference 
to  Moses'  smiting  with  his  rod  the  river  of  Egypt  and  turning 
its  waters  to  blood,  so  he  is  here  figuratively  said  to  have 
"killed  "the  Nile. 

Note  34,  Page  34. 

Mtisa,  Kaldmu'l-ldh.  This  is  the  title  universally  applied 
to  Moses  by  Mohammedans.  It  means  "  the  one  who  held 
direct  converse  with  God." 

Note  35,  Page  39. 

Nabih,  and  his  cousin,  of  the  tribe  of  Manashshah.  In  the 
Bible  Nabih,  or  Nobah,  as  he  is  there  called,  is  mentioned 


NOTES.  155 

only  but  once  (Num.  xxxii,  42),  and  his  genealogy  is  not 
stated,  but  from  the  connection  it  is  evident  that  he  was  a 
descendant  of  Manasseh,  and  a  prominent  warrior  in  his 
tribe.  In  Chapter  xxxvii.  of  this  Chronicle  we  have  his  pedi- 
gree given  as  u  the  son  of  Gilead,  the  son  of  Machir,  the  son 
of  Manasseh,  the  son  of  Joseph,  etc."  His  cousin  here  spoken 
of  is,  in  all  probability,  Jair  who  is  associated  with  him  in 
the  conquest  of  Trans-Jordanic  towns  in  Num.  xxxii.  41,  42, 
and  who  was,  as  we  are  told  in  1  Chron.  ii.  21.  22.  the  son 
of  the  daughter  of  Machir,  and  therefore  first  cousin  to  No- 
bah.  According  to  the  Jewish  tradition  Nobah  was  born  in 
Egypt,  died  after  the  decease  of  Moses,  and  was  buried  during 
the  passage  of  the  Jordan  (Seder  Olam  Rabba,  ix). 

Note  36,  Page  43. 

Wlweverfleesawayis  safe,  bat  whoever  remains  shall  perish. 
There  is  a  story  recorded  in  the  Jerusalem  Talmud  to  the 
effect  that,  before  Joshua  proceeded  to  lead  the  children  of 
Israel  to  the  conquest  of  the  Holy  Land  he  sent  a  deputation 
unto  the  inhabitants  of  Canaan  to  proclaim  unto  them,  "  Let 
whosoever  who  would  escape  death,  leave  the  country." 
(Tract.  Terumoth). 

Note  37,  Page  44. 

Bahab  the  innkeeper.  The  word  translated  here  "inn- 
keeper "  (funduqiyeh)  is  the  same  word  employed  by  the  Tar- 
gumist  (pundekitha)  in  Josh.  ii.  1,  to  describe  Rahab. 
Josephus  speaks  of  her  only  as  keeping  an  inn,  and  the  Jew- 
ish commentators  (Kimchi,  Jarchi)  adopt  this  view.  Accord- 
ing to  St.  Matthew  i.  4,  she  subsequently  married  Salmon,  a 
prince  of  Judah,  and  thus  became  the  ancestress  of  David. 
The  Rabbinic  story  is.  that  Rahab  was  not  a  Canaanite,  but 
of  some  other  Gentile  race,  and  was  only  a  sojourner  in  Jeri- 
cho, that  she  was  ten  years  old  when  the  Israelites  left  Egypt; 
she  played  the  harlot  during  the  forty  years  in  which  the  Is- 
raelites were  in  the  desert;  she  became  a  proselyte  when  the 
spies  were  received  by  her,  and  that  after  the  fall  of  Jericho. 
Joshua  himself  made  her  his  wife,  and  by  him  she  became  the 
ancestress  of  the  eight  prophets  Jeremiah,  Maaseiah,  Hana- 
meel,  Shallum,  Barueh,  Ezekhiel,  Neriah  and  Seriah,  and  also 
of  Huldah  the  prophetess.  (See  authorities  cited  in  Kitto's  Bib. 
Cycl.  art.  Rahab). 

Note  38,  Page  45. 

The  tablets  whose  writing  ivas  of  Divine  light.  There  is  a 
hymn  in  the  Samaritan  liturgy  which  sets  forth  the  belief 
held  by  the  Samaritans  as  to  the  nature  of  the  inscription  on 
the  tables  of  stone,  and  what  is  there  said  sheds  considerable 
light  on  this  phrase.  In  this  hymn  (we  quote  Juynboll)  "  di- 
cuntur  duse  Legis  tabulae  firrase  fuisse,  et  conscriptae  digito 
divino,  s.  digito  ignis  ardentis,  et  fulguris  instar  splenduisse, 
quin  pellucidte  fuisse,  ita  ut  qiue  iis  inseiipLai  essent,  in 
parte  aversa  legi  possent"  (Notes,  page  229).     The  Moham- 


156      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

medan  story  of  the  inscribing  of  the  law  upon  the  tables, 
dwells  also  with  particular  emphasis  upon  brilliancy  of  the 
light  accompanying  it.  The  tables  upon  which  God  wrote 
were  fetched  from  Paradise  by  the  angel  Gabriel,  and  most 
of  the  authorities  say  they  were  huge  gems.  (Compare  the 
statement  of  the  Targum,  that  they  were  sapphire  stones 
from  the  throne  of  glory.  Pseudo-Jon.  Ex.  xxxi.  18.)  And 
God  wrote  with  a  pen  of  light  that  was  taller  than  the  space 
between  heaven  and  earth,  and  the  earth  glowed  with  light; 
and  the  letters  were  graven  into  the  tables,  so  that  they 
could  be  read  on  both  sides.     (Kisas  el-anbiyd.) 

Note  39,  Page  46. 

Each  one  of  them  should  write  his  name  upon  his  stone. 
There  is  found  in  the  Bible  no  mention  of  any  inscription 
whatever  being  put  on  these  stones;  and  so  far  as  we  are 
aware,  the  Samaritans  stand  alone  in  this  tradition,  as  well 
as  in  the  tradition  that  Joshua  placed  in  order  on  Mount 
Gerizim  the  twelve  stones  brought  out  of  the  Jordan  by  the 
Israelites,  where,  it  is  said,  they  will  remain,  until  el-Muhdy 
(the  Messiah)  shall  appear.  {Robinson's  Bib.  Res.  vol.  ii. 
p.  278.) 

Note  40,  Page  47. 

The  first  year  of  the  first  period  of  seven  years  of  the  Yubtl. 
The  word  here  translated  "period  of  seven  years"  is  the 
Hebrew  word  shemittah  ("release  "),  and  is  employed  to  des- 
ignate the  period  of  seven  years  terminating  with  the  Year 
of  Release.  The  words  "  of  the  Yubil  "  here  mean  the  period 
of  forty-nine  years  closing  with  the  year  of  Jubilee,  which 
consisted  of  a  succession  of  seven  sabbatical  years,  the  year 
of  Jubilee  in  reality  being  the  fiftieth  year.  From  this  we 
learn  that  the  Samaritans  hold  that  the  law  in  relation  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  land  for  six  years  and  letting  it  lie  at  rest 
during  the  seventh,  became  obligatory  from  the  very  first 
entrance  of  the  Israelites  into  the  Promised  Land,  thus  liter- 
ally interpreting  Lev.  xxv.  2,  ''When  ye  come  into  the  land 
which  I  give  you,  then  shall  the  land  keep  a  sabbath  unto 
the  Lord."  The  best  Jewish  authorities,  on  the  other  hand, 
hold,  that  the  law  became  obligatory  fourteen  years  after  the 
first  entrance  into  the  Promised  Land,  the  conquest  of  which 
took  seven  years  and  the  distribution  seven  more,  then  they 
cultivated  it  six  years,  and  on  the  seventh  year  (i.e.,  the 
twenty-first  after  entering  the  land),  the  first  sabbatical  year 
was  celebrated. 

Note  41,  Page  48. 

The  sea  of  el-Qulzum.  This  is  the  name  by  which  the  Red 
Sea  is  commonly  known  to  the  people  of  the  East,  it  is  de- 
rived from  the  ancient  city  Clysma,  the  site  of  which  is  near. 
or  at  the  modern  Suez :  Qulzum  being  merely  the  Arabic 
form  of  the  same  name.  Some  Arabic  authors,  however, 
say,  the  sea  is  so  named  from  the  swallowing  up,  or  drown- 


NOTES.  157 

ing  of  Pharaoh's  host;  Qulzum  being  a  derivative  of  qalzam 
which  has  this  signification;  or,  according  to  others,  from 
its  being  hemmed  in  by  mountains,  from  the  same  root. 
Smith'' s  Bib.  Diet.,  art.  Ked  Sea. 

Note  42,  Page  50. 

7  am  of  the  messengers  of  God,  who  rule  over  punishments. 
In  Joshua,  v.  14,  this  angel  is  stated  as  being  "captain  of  the 
host  of  the  Lord,"  which,  according  to  Jewish  angelology 
would  designate  the  archangel  Michael;  for  they  regard  the 
angels  as  divided  into  several  orders  or  classes,  each  class 
having  an  archangel  at  its  head,  the  head  or  the  first  class 
being  Michael,  who  is  therefore  chief  prince  of  all  the  angels. 
From  the  expression  here  used  it  is  evident,  that,  the  Samari- 
tans likewise  believe  that  the  angels  are  divided  into  classes, 
one  class  of  which  preside  over  the  execution  of  punishments. 
Probably  direct  reference  is  had  here  to  what  is  said  in  Ex. 
xxiii.  21,  concerning  the  angel  that  the  Lord  said  He  would 
send  to  accompany  the  children  of  Israel,  it  being  there  im- 
plied that  he  was  an  angel  who  punished  transgressions. 

Note  43,  Page  52. 

Ancient  Yariha;  and  this  city  was  devoted,  destroyed,  burn- 
ed and  converted  iiito  a  mound,  never  to  be  built  up,  or  re- 
stored, throughout  eternal  ages.  In  the  Bible — Joshua  viii.  28 
— we  read:  "  And  Joshua  burnt  Ai,  and  made  it  an  heap  for 
ever,  even  a  desolation  unto  this  day."  It  is  a  significant 
fact,  worthy  to  be  noted,  that  the  Chronicle  before  us  makes 
no  mention  whatever  of  Ai.  The  account  here  given  of  the 
destruction  of  Jericho  is  evidently  founded  upon  Deut.  xiii. 
16,  "  And  thou  shalt  gather  all  the  spoil  of  it  into  the  midst 
of  the  street  thereof,  and  shalt  burn  with  fire  the  city,  and  all 
the  spoil  thereof,  every  whit,  for  the  Lord  thy  God  :  and  it 
shall  be  an  heap  for  ever;  it  shall  not  be  built  again." 

Note  44,  Page  53. 

And  he  found  therein  a  goodly  thing  of  gold,  and  a  tongue 
of  gold,  their  weight  was  2250  mithqals.     Joshua   vii.  21.  in 

the  Hebrew  text,  reads:   " among  the  spoil  a  goodly 

mantle  of  Shinar,  and  two  hundred  shekels  of  silver,  and  a 

tongue  of  gold  of  fifty  shekels  weight rt     The  Septna- 

gint  has:  ''an  embroidered  mantle."  The  Vulgate:  "a 
scarlet  garment  exceeding  good."  Josephus  :  "  a  royal  gar- 
ment woven  entirely  of  gold,  and  apiece  of  gold  that  weighed 
two  hundred  shekels."  An  Arabic  mithqal  is  equal  to  about 
72  English  grains. 

Note  45,  Page  53. 

And  upon  him  were  the  jewels.  And  the  jewel  which  was 
inscribed  with  the  name  of  Yahudah  grew  black-  What  is 
here  said  coincides  directly  with  the  general  belief  held  by 


158      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

the  Jewish  Rabbins,  that  the  Urimand  Thummim  were  ident- 
ical with  the  twelve  precious  stones  on  the  breastplate  of  tbe 
highpriest  on  which  the  names  of  the  tribes  of  Israel  were 
engraved,  and  that  the  mode  in  which  Divine  communication 
was  given  was  by  the  intensity  or  obscuration  of  the  light 
shining  forth  from  a  gem.  Josephus  gives  expression  to  the 
same  tradition,  though  he  apparently  identifies  the  Urimand 
Thummim  with  the  sardonyxes  on  the  shoulders  of  the  ephod, 
yet  he  agrees  fully  as  to  the  way  in  which  an  oracle  was 
given.     (Antiq.  iii.  bk.  8,  chap.  9). 

Note  46,  Page  55. 

And  in  Wddy  el-Mtijib.  What  is  here  referred  to  is  more 
fully  explained  in  Chap,  xiii,  where,  in  enumerating  the  var- 
ious miracles  that  God  had  performed  for  the  children  of 
Israel,  it  is  said:  "He  closed  up  the  two  mountains  of  the 
valley  el-Mujib  (Arnon),  that  thou  mightest  pass  over  safely." 
The  legend  of  a  miracle  having  been  wrought  at  the  passage 
of  the  Arnon  is  very  old.  and  is  founded  upon  that  most  ob- 
scure citation  from  "  The  Book  of  the  wars  of  Yahweh  "  con- 
tained in  Num.  xxi.  14,  which  our  English  Authorized  Ver- 
sion, following  the  Jewish  interpretation  and  the  Vulgate, 
render:  "  What  He  did  in  Ihe  Red  Sea,  and  in  the  brooks  of 
Arnon.  Tn  explanation  of  this  last  clause,  the  Targum  of 
Jonathan,  giving  the  Jewish  legend,  says:  "That  the  Edo- 
mites  and  Moabites  hid  themselves  in  the  mountains  to  lie  in 
wait  for  and  destroy  the  people  of  the  house  of  Israel  ;  but 
the  Lord  of  the  world  gave  a  signal  to  the  mountains  and  they 
came  together  each  to  each,  and  they  died,  and  their  blood 
flowed  in  the  valley  close  to  Arnon."  This  it  will  be  perceived 
differs  from  the  Samaritan  account  in  stating  that  the  moun- 
tains enclosing  the  valley  were  miraculously  brought  together 
rather  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  the  enemies  of  Israel, 
than  that  they  themselves  might  have  an  easy  and  safe  way 
of  getting  across  this  deep  valley.  In  all  probability  the  latter 
version  of  the  legend  arose  from  the  deep,  precipitous  and 
almost  impassable  nature  of  this  valley,  which  it  was  sup- 
posed the  children  of  Israel  could  not  have  crossed  without 
Divine  aid.  A  modern  eminent  geographer,  speaking  of  the 
canon  of  el-Mujib,  says:  "So  wild  a  production  of  nature  as 
the  Arnon  fissure  was  undoubtedly  well  adapted  in  ancient 
times  to  form  a  powerful  frontier It  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  determine  how  the  people  of  Israel  in  the  time  of  Mo- 
ses were  able  to  overcome  so  powerful  a  natural  and  political 
barrier.  It  cannot  be  supposed  that  a  whole  nation,  migrating 
with  all  its  possessions,  including  numerous  flocks  and  herds, 
would  expose  itself  without  necessity  to  the  dangers  and 
enormous  difficulties  of  crossing  so  fearfully  wild  and  deep 
a  valley,  for  the  purpose  of  penetrating  into  an  enemy's  coun- 
try  the  Israelites  most  probably  took  the  road  higher 

up — that  is,  farther  to  the  east — and  thus  avoided  the  deep 
precipices  of  the  Arnon."     (Bitter). 


NOTES.  159 

Note  47,  Page  56, 

The  blessed  mountain.  This  is  Mount  Gerizim,  the  holiest 
spot  on  earth  to  the  Samaritans,  the  kibleh  toward  which  they 
pray.  Here,  they  believe,  was  the  seat  of  Paradise,  from 
which  all  the  streams  that  watered  the  earth  flowed  forth; 
Adam  had  been  formed  out  of  its  dust,  and  had  lived  upon  it 
— the  seven  steps  of  stone  used  by  Adam  in  coming  out  of 
Paradise,  are  still  pointed  out  on  its  summit;  here  he  built 
his  first  altar,  and,  later,  here  was  raised  Seth's  altar.  This 
"was,  indeed  Blount  Ararat,  higher  by  15  cubits  than  Mount  Ebal 
— the  next  highest  and  next  holiest  mountain  in  the  world, 
it  was  the  one  pure  and  sacred  spot  which,  haying  ris^n 
above  the  waters  of  the  flood,  no  corpse  had  defiled;  here 
Noah  came  out  from  the  ark,  and  built  his  altar,  and  offered 
up  his  sacrifice;  this  was  the  mount  upon  which  Abraham 
laid  his  son  Isaac  on  the  altar  to  offer  him  up;  on  the  sum- 
mit of  Gerizim  Jacob  rested  his  head  when  he  saw  the  ladder 
in  his  dream,  with  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descend- 
ing on  it,  and  wmere  upon  awaking  he  said  :  "this  is  none 
other  but  the  house  of  God  (Beth-el),  and  this  is  the  gate  of 
heaven ;"  from  this  sacred  spot  were  uttered  the  blessings 
that  Moses  commanded,  and  here  Joshua  reared  his  altar,  and 
in  later  days  built  a  temple;  in  its  immediate  neighborhood 
lie  buried  Joseph,  Eleazer,  Ithamar,  Phinehas,  Joshua  the 
son  of  Nun,  Caleb  and  the  seventy  Ancients;  here  stood  the 
Beit  el-Muqaddas  (the  holy  house)  of  the  Samaritans  for 
centuries  uutil  destroyed  by  the  Jews;  on  this  spot  will  first 
appear  the  Messiah,  and  bring  from  their  hiding-place  in  the 
Mount  the  sacred  vessels  of  the  tabernacle  of  Moses. 

In  this  Chronicle  Gerizim  is  commonly  called  Tdr-berlk 
"Blessed  Mount,"  or  "Mount  of  Blessing,"  so  styled,  no 
doubt,  from  the  circumstance  that  the  blessings  were  pro- 
nounced from  its  summit.     (Deut.  xxvii.  12). 

Note  48,  Page  56. 

Qiryah.  This  abbreviated  form  of  Kirjath-jearim  is  meL 
with  once  in  the  Bible,  Joshua  xviii.  28.  In  the  Bible  we 
find  four  cities  mentioned  by  name  in  this  connection,  (Jos. 
ix.  17),  here  the  city  Chephirah  is  omitted. 

Note  49,  Page  58. 

Kasahah.  Probably  the  same  city  as  is  called  Azekah  in 
the  Hebrew.  Its  site  has  not  as  yet  been  identified,  and  we 
are  in  utter  ignorance  as  to  what  the  later  name  of  the  place 
might  have  been. 

Note  50,  Page  59. 

Mahzun.  The  identification  of  this  place  is  a  difficult 
matter.  Possibly  the  word  Mahzun  is  a  corruption  of  Mase- 
ron,  the  name  found  intheLXX.  (Joshua,  xi.  8)  in  the  plaee 
of  Misrephoth-maim.  Juynboll,  however,  inclines  to  the 
opinion  that  it  is  a  corruption  of  Meirun,  the  name  of  the 


160       THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

town  lying  some  two  hours  distant.  W.N.W.  from  Safed; 
and  Conder  reads  Maharun,  and  suggests  that  it  is  identi- 
cal with  the  modern  village  of  el-Mahruneh  near  Dothan. 
(Pal.  Explor.  Fund,  Quar.  Statement,  1875,  p.  187). 

Note  51,  Page  60. 

They  celebrated  a  grand  feast.  It  is  worthy  to  be  noted 
that  this  Chronicle — as  does  also  Josephus— places  the  so- 
lemnization of  this  festival  after  the  successful  conquest  of 
the  Holy  Land;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  text  of  the  can- 
onical Book  of  Joshua,  as  it  now  stands,  places  it  directly 
after  the  capture  of  Jericho  and  Ai,  (Jos.  viii.  30-35),  before 
in  fact  the  Israelites  had  arrived  at  Mount  Gerizim,  and 
when  this  whole  region  was  still  in  tke  kands  of  tke  enemy. 
One  is  compelled  to  believe  tkese  verses  in  tke  viiitk  ckapter 
of  Joskua  are  not  in  their  proper  setting,  but  are  dislocated, 
and  that  tkey  skould  be  transferred  to  tke  end  of  ckapter  xi. 
where  tkey  seem  to  naturally  and  consistently  belong.  (See 
The  Speaker's  Comment,  ad  loco). 

Note  52,  Page  65. 

In  it  were  marvellous  indicatory  signs.  The  Jews  likewise 
set  great  store  by  the  study  of  the  Law,  and  attribute  to  it 
similar  virtues.  Their  Phylacteries  and  Mezuzahs,  as  is  well 
known,  are  considered  to  possess  miraculous  powers  in  ward- 
ing off  evil  spirits,  diseases,  death,  and  many  other  dire  ca- 
lamities. Particularly  do  the  Jews  lay  emphasis  on  the  idea 
that  the  devout  study  of  the  Law  will  insure  long  life  to  the 
student. 

Note  53,  Page  67. 

The  district  embracing  the  excellent  mountain.  It  is 

rather  remarkable  that  here  Caleb  is  associated  with  Joshua 
in  the  possession  of  the  district  embracing  Mount  Gerizim, 
when  in  the  canonical  Book  of  Joshua  we  are  informed  that 
he  had  assigned  to  him  Hebron  for  an  inheritance.  As  to 
Joshua's  possession,  both  Jewish  and  Samaritan  tradition 
agree  in  placing  it  at  or  near  Shechem — Josephus  says  that, 
Joshua  "lived  in  Shechem  "  (bk.  v.  2S).  In  opposition  to 
this,  the  attempt  in  modern  times  to  identify  Joshua's  city 
Timnath-serah  (or  Heres)  with  the  present  village  of  Tibneh, 
situated  far  south  of  Shechem  in  the  mountains  of  Ephraim, 
is  not  very  satisfactory. 

Note  54,  Page  69. 

Their  enemies  were  far  removed  from  them  and  dispersed 
throughout  the  regions  of  the  earth.  Various  profane  writers 
corroborate  this  statement  and  give  testimony  to  the  expul- 
sion of  the  Canaanites  from  tke  Holy  Land  and  tkeir  migra- 
tion to  other  regions.  Moses  of  Chorene,  the  Armenian  his- 
torian, says:    "  Wken  he  (i.e.,  Joshua)  was  destroying  the 


NOTES.  161 

Canaanites,  some  fled  to  Agra,  and  sought  Tharsis  in  ships. 
This  appears  from  an  inscription,  carved  on  pillars  in  Africa, 
which  is  extant  even  in  our  own  time,  and  is  of  this  purport: 
'  We,  the  chiefs  of  the  Canaanites,  fleeing  from  Joshua  the 
Robber,  have  come  hitherto  dwell.'  "  (Hist.  Armen.  i.  18). 

Procopius,  the  historian  and  secretary  to  Belisarius,  in  his 
description  of  Tigisis  (Tangiers)  a  city  of  Numidia,  relates  the 
same  fact,  his  words  are:  "  Here  there  are  two  columns,  made 
of  white  stone,  near  the  great  fountain,  having  carved  upon 
them  Phoenician  letters,  which  read  thus  in  the  language  - 
of  the  Phoenicians:  '  We  are  they  who  fled  from  the  face  of 
Joshua  the  Robber,  the  son  of  Nun.1 "  {Be  Bello  Vandalico, 
ii.  10).  This  is  clearly  the  language  of  an  eye-witness.  Pro- 
copius, it  must  be  remembered,  had  accompanied  Belisarius 
to  Africa.  Suidas  the  Lexicographer  mentions  the  same  in 
his  Dictionary  under  the  word-  Canaan.  (Raivlinson's  Hist. 
Evidences,  p.  86).  There  is  a  story,  preserved  in  Rabbinical 
legends,  which  represents  that  when  Alexander  the  Great 
arrived  in  Palestine,  the  Gergesenes,  or  Girgashites,  who  had 
fled  to  Africa,  came  to  plead  their  cause  before  him  against 
the  Israelites,  for  having  expelled  them  and  wrongfully  taken 
possession  of  their  territory. 

Note  55,  Page  70. 

Shaubak.  This  king  is  here  stated  to  be  the  son  of  Hamam 
the  son  R'awan,  king  of  the  Persians;  but  in  Chap,  xxxvii. 
his  genealogy  is  carried  back  further,  and  he  is  there  said  to 
be  a  descendant  of  Fut  (Phut),  the  son  of  Ham,  the  son  of 
Nuh  (Noah).  Outside  of  Jewish  and  Samaritan  tradition  we 
know  nothing  whatever  about  him,  or  his  war  with  Joshua. 
In  the  lists  of  the  kings  of  Persia  no  such  name  occurs.  Ac- 
cording to  the  account  of  him  found  in  the  book  Juchasinhe 
was  the  king  of  Armenia  Minor,  or  that  part  of  ancient  Ar- 
menia lying  to  the  west  of  the  river  Euphrates.  The  name 
was  probably  not  uncommon  in  the  East  in  former  times  ; 
for  we  read  that  in  David's  time  the  captain  of  the  host  of 
Hadadezer,  king  of  Zobah,  bore  the  name  Shobach.  One  of 
the  leaders  of  the  people  in  the  time  of  Nehemiah  was  named 
Shobek;  and  there  is  a  town  in  Arabia  Petraea  at  the  present 
day  which  bears  the  name  Shabek. 

Note  56,  Page  70. 

The  son  o/Ydfet  the  giant.  In  the  next  chapter  this  son 
of  Japhcth  is  said  to  have  had  "a  thunderbolt  of  steel,"  and 
to  have  been  accompanied  by  certain  kings  who  possessed 
''instruments  and  implements  of  war,  which  they  had  inher- 
ited from  their  grandfather  Nuh  (Noah)."  The  book  Jucha- 
sin,  in  its  description  of  him,  makes  no  mention  of  his  having 
a  thunderbolt,  but  only  says  of  him  that,  he  was  a  giant  and 
could  wield  his  ppear  against  an  indefinite  number  of  men. 
In  the  book  of  Genesis  (chap.  x.  2)  we  read  that  Japheth  bad 
seven  sons.  Gomer,  Magog,  Madai,  Javan,  Tubal,  Me- 
11 


162       THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

shech  and  Tiras.  Mohammedan  legends  ascribe  to  him  eleven 
sons;  (1)  Sin,  the  ancestor  of  the  Chinese;  (2)  Scklab,  the  an- 
cestor of  the  Sclavonian  races;  (3)  Magog,  the  ancestor  of  the 
Scynthians  and  Kalmuths;  (4)  Gomari,  the  ancestor  of  the 
Franks;  (5)  Turk  and  (6)  Khalos,  the  ancestors  of  the  Turks; 
(7)  Khozaz,  the  ancestor  of  the  Khozarans;  (8)  Rus,  the  an- 
cestor of  the  Russians;  (9)  Souffan,  (10)  Ghoy  and  (11)  Tar- 
ag,  the  ancestors  of  the  Turcomans.  The  Moslem  writers 
btate  that  he  was  the  eldest  son  of  Noah,  and  that  upon 
coining  out  of  the  ark  Noah  gave  him  a  miraculous  stone, 
upon  which  was  written  the  great  name  of  God,  and  which 
enabled  him  thereafter  to  cause  rain  at  pleasure — the  Turks 
say  that,  by  means  of  this  stone,  Noah  was  able  to  guide  the 
course  of  the  ark  without  sail  or  oars.  They  ascribe  to  the 
sons  and  descendants  of  Japheth  great  wisdom,  but  say  that 
no  prophet  was  ever  born  among  them. 

Note  57,  Page  70. 

el-Qaimiin.  This  is  the  modern  Tell  Qaimfin,  a  command- 
ing eminence  standing  at  the  eastern  termination  of  Mount 
Carmel,  and  overlooking  the  broad  plain  of  Esdraelon.  Dr. 
Robinson  describes  it  as  follows  :  "  From  the  southern  end  of 
the  mountain  (Carmel),  and  along  its  eastern  base,  comes 
down  a  narrow  valley,  Wadyel-Milh,  which  separaies  Carmel 
from  the  lower  rounded  hills,  that  stretch  off  southeast  as  far 

as  to  Lejjun Tell  Kaimon  is  on  the  eastern  side  of 

Wady  el-Milh,  at  its  mouth  as  it  enters  the  plain  ;  and  is  the 
northwestern  termination  of  the  hills  which  stretch  off  south- 
east. The  position  is  conspicuous  and  important  ;  command- 
ing the  main  pass  from  the  western  portion  of  Esdraelon  to 
the  more  southern  plain.  The  name  refers  us  at  once  to  the 
Cammona  of  Eusebius  and  Cimana  of  Jerome,  situated  in  the 
great  plain,  six  Roman  miles  north  of  Legio  (el-Lejjun),  on 
the  way  to  Ptolemais.  This  is  precisely  the  position  of  Tell 
Kaimon."  Dr.  R.  also  identifies  this  place  with  the  ancient 
Jokneam  of  Carmel,  where  dwelt  one  of  the  Canaanitish  kings 
in  the  time  of  Joshua  (Jos.  xii.  22),  and  adds  the  remark  : 
"  The  position  is  sufficiently  important  for  the  site  of  a  kingly 
city."     (Bib.  Bes.  Yol.  iii.  p.  114,  115). 

Note  58,  Page  71. 

0  murdering  wolf.  The  reading  in  the  hook  Juchasin  is 
"O  wolf  of  the  evenings"  (comp.  Jer.  v.  6),  I.  e.,  the  vora- 
cious wolf  that  prowls  at  night.  The  book  Shalsheleth  Hak- 
kabbalah  likewise  has  the  same  reading  (p.  96). 

Note  59,  Page  71. 

Thirty  cities.  This  does  not  agree  with  the  text  of  the 
canonical  Book  of  Joshua,  where  their  number  is  given  as 
"thirty  and  one"  (chap.  xii.  24).  The  LXX,  on  the  other 
hand,  here  reads  "  twenty-nine  J " 


NOTES.  163 

Note  60,  Page  73. 

Merj  Balata.  ("the  Meadow  of  Balata").  This  is  the 
great  plain  stretching  east  from  the  mountains  Gerizim  and 
Ebal :  its  modern  Arabic  name  is  Mukhna.  Close  to  the  foot 
of  Mount  Geriziiw,  on  the  edge  of  the  plain,  stands  the  pres- 
ent ruined  hamlet  of  Balata,  this  site  the  Samaritans  call 
"The  Holy  Oak"  or  "The  Tree  of  Grace,"  identifying  it 
with  the  spot  where  stood  in  ancient  days  the  "Oak  of 
Shechem"  (or  Moreh).  In  Chapter  xxix  we  find  this  same 
plain  called  "  the  hallowed  (or pure)  plain,"  and  in  Chapters 
xxxix  and  xlvii  the  term  Merj  el-Baha  "  Meadow  of  Beauty  " 
is  applied  to  it. 

Note  61,  Page  75. 

KhaUlu'l-ldh  ("the  Friend  of  God").  This  is  the  name 
by  which  Abraham  is  known  among  Mohammedans  and  the 
Arabic  speaking  peoples  of  the  East.  The  title  is  often 
abbreviated  to  simply  el-Khalil  "the  Friend,"  and  as  such  it 
is  employed  as  the  modern  name  of  the  city  of  Hebron.  As 
a  title  applied  to  Abraham  it  is  very  old,  being  common 
among  the  ancient  Hebrews  (see  2  Chron.  xx.  7  ;  Is.  xli.  8  ; 
James,  ii.  23). 

Note  62,  Page  78. 

And  another  lifted  up  on  his  five  fingers  five  kings  of  cities, 
even  Sadum  (Sodihn) Though  the  num- 
ber of  the  cities  of  the  plain  were  indeed  five  (Gen.  xiv.  2,) 
still  we  are  told  in  Deut.  xxix.  23— and  the  same  is  implied 
in  Gen.  xix.  21 — that  only  four  of  them  were  overthrown 
and  destroyed.  In  the  Book  of  Wisdom,  however,  it  is 
stated  that  the  five  cities  were  destroyed  (Chap.  x.  6),  and 
with  this  Josephus  agrees  ;  for  he  says  "  the  shadowy  traces 
of  the  five  cities  are  still  to  be  seen  "  (B.  J.  iv.  8.  4).  The 
story  here  mentioned  as  to  the  part  the  angel  took  in  the 
destruction  of  the  cities  is  undoubtedly  connected  with  the 
Mohammedan  tradition  of  the  event,  which  recites  that,  the 
angel  Gabriel  was  ordered  by  God  to  destroy  these  cities,  and 
that  he  went  down  and  thrust  his  wing  under  four  of  them — 
some  accounts  say  seven — and  uprooted  them,  and  bore  them 
aloft  on  the  feathers  of  his  wing,  and  carried  them  so  high 
that  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  heard  their  cocks  crowing  and 
their  dogs  barking,  and  held  them  there  until  morning,  and 
then  turned  them  upside  down  and  cast  them  to  the  earth, 
and  rained  upon  them  stones  baked  in  Hell-fire,  each  stone 
being  inscribed  with  the  name  of  the  person  it  should  kill. 
(See  Sale's  Koran,  vol.  ii.  p.  29  ;  Kisas  el-anbiyd,  p.  80  ;  Mer- 
rick's Hydt  ul-Kuldb,  p.  275).  The  Talmud  likewise  asso- 
ciates the  angel  Gabriel  with  the  destruction  of  Sodom.'  (Bab. 
Mez.  86  b.). 

Note  63,  Page  81. 

The  sea  of  darkness.  According  to  the  cosmogony  of  the 
Arahs  the  continents  and  islands  of  the  earth  are  believed  to 
be  surrounded  by  "the  Circumambient  Ocean"  (el-Bahr  el- 


164      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

Muhit),  which  ocean  is  described  as  bounded  by  a  chain  of 
mountains  called  Qaf,  which  was  said  to  be  composed  of 
green  chrysolite,  the  brilliancy  of  which  imparts  a  greenish 
hue  to  the  sky.  Scattered  over  this  ocean  were  unknown 
regions  and  innumerable  islands,  the  abode  of  Jinns  (Genii), 
and  here  was  the  throne  of  Iblis  (the  Devil).  The  remote 
western  portion  of  the  Muhit  was  called  "the  Sea  of  Dark- 
ness," adjoining  which  lay  the  region  of  darkness,  so  called 
because  of  its  horrors,  terrors  and  difficulties. 

Note  64,  Page  87. 

Trumpets  of  clamor,  i.  e.,  trumpets  of  alarm,  signal  trum- 
pets on  which  alarms  were  sounded.  The  Arabic  here  is  an 
exact  rendering  of  the  Hebrew  words  shophroth  hayyovlim 
(Josh,  vi.),  which  in  the  Authorized  Version,  following  the 
interpretation  of  the  Rabbins,  are  translated  "trumpets  of 
rams,  horns, "but  which  should  rightly  be  translated  "trum- 
pets of  jubilee,"  or  "alarm-trumpets." 

Note  65,  Page  87, 

el-Lejjtm.  The  modern  Arabic  form  of  the  name  of  the 
ancient  city,Legio,  mentioned  by  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  and 
situated  on  the  western  border  of  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon. 
Dr.  Robinson  has  identified  it  with  the  site  of  the  more 
ancient  Megiddo  of  the  Old  Testament  (Bib.  Researches,  vol. 
iii.  p.  118).  It  lies  six  Roman  miles  distant  from  el-Qaimun, 
where  were  encamped  the  forces  of  the  enemy,  cf.  Note  57. 

Note  m,  Page  91. 

Fire  !  Fire  !  !  no  rest  and  no  repose  ! .  The  word  "  Fire  " 
is  used  here  by  metonymy  for  "war,"  a  thing  of  frequent 
occurrence  in  the  Oriental  languages,  and  the  whole  expres- 
sion is  a  stirring  and  impassioned  utterance  on  the  part  of 
Nabih,  intended  to  arouse  his  army  to  the  highest  pitch  of 
zeal  in  hastening  to  the  succor  of  Joshua.  Juynboll,  how- 
ever, translates  this  phrase  quite  differently,  his  rendering 
being  :  "  ignem,  ignem  (largiatur  Deus),  nullus  viae  est  dux, 
nullus  locus  quietis!" 

Note  67,  Page  91. 

The  great  meadow.  The  plain  of  Esdraelon,  the  modern 
Arabic  name  of  which  is  Merj  ibn  'Amir  "  the  Meadow  of  the 
son  of  'Amir." 

Note  68,  Page  92. 

O  Nabih,  what  is  the  matter  ivith  thee  that  thou  barkest  f. 
There  is  a  play  here  upon  words  which  it  is  impossible  to 
bring  out  in  the  translation,  the  word  tanbahuy,  "thou 
barkest"  being  used  as  a  play  upon  the  name  Nabih. 


NOTES.  165 

Note  69,  Page  94. 

The  icest  wind  was  returning  each  missile  unto  its  hurler. 
A  miracle  similar  to  this  is  related  in  the  Moslem  traditions 
concerning  Mohammed.  The  story  runs  that:  "At  the  battle 
of  Ahzdb,  Abusuffeedn  ordered  a  division  of  seven  thousand 
archers  to  discharge  their  arrows  in  a  simultaneous  volley  at 
Mohammed's  army.  This  order  coming  to  the  ears  of  the 
Mnsulmans  caused  much  terror  and  alarm  among  them;  but 
the  prophet  waved  his  victorious  sleeve  in  the  air,  and  when 
the  volley  was  discharged  God  sent  a  wind  which  drove  each 
arrow  back  to  pierce  and  wound  its  master!"  {Merrick's 
Uyut  ul-Kulub,  p.  177). 

Note  70,  Page  94. 

Until  the  horses  plunged  in  blood  up  to  their  nostrils.  The 
same  thing  is  related  by  the  Talmudists  to  have  occurred  at 
the  capture  of  Bether,  in  the  Jewish  revolt  under  Hadrian, 
A.  D.  135  ;  for  they  tell  us  that  so  great  was  the  slaughter 
there  that  ''the  horses  waded  up  to  their  mouths  in  blood." 
(Miinter,  Biblioth.  Sac.  1843,  p.  440).     Compare  Kev.  xiv.  20. 

Note  71,  Page  9S. 

Yush'd  the  son  of  Nun  reigned  forty-five  years.  In  the 
Bible  we  are  not  informed  as  to  the  length  of  Joshua's  admin- 
istration, Josephus  (Ant.  v.  1.  29),  gives  the  number  of 
years  that  Joshua  ruled  Israel  as  twenty-five,  but  according 
to  other  Jewish  chronologers  it  was  twenty-seven  years. 
Eusebius  ( ''Prazpar.  Evang.  'x.  14)  states  that  some  assigned 
thirty  years  to  it,  while  on  the  other  hand  some  chronologers 
have  endeavored  to  reduce  the  period  to  twenty-one  years, 
and  others  to  seventeen  years,  and  still  others  to  seven  years. 

Note  72,  Page  99. 

Merj  el-Bahd  (Meadow  of  Beauty).  See  note  60.  In  the 
Samaritan  Version  of  the  Pentateuch,  Gen.  xii.  6,  this  plain 
is  called  "  the  Plain  of  Vision,"  and  the  Vulgate  here  reads 
"convallem  illustrem,"  which  seems  to  be  quite  closely  allied 
to  the  name  Merj  el-Baha. 

Note  73,  Page  99. 

Abil,  the  son  of  the  brother  of  Kalab.  By  Abil  is  undoubt- 
edly here  meant  Othniel,  the  son  of  Kenaz,  Caleb's  younger 
brother,  who,  we  are  told  in  Judges  iii.  9,  was  the  first  judge 
over  the  children  of  Israel  after  the  death  of  Joshua.  The 
length  of  his  rule  is  here  stated  to  have  been  nine  years.  The 
book  of  Judges  does  not  inform  us  how  long  his  administra- 
tion lasted,  but  Chap.  iii.  11,  seems  to  imply  that  it  extended 
through  a  period  of  forty  years. 

Note  74,  Page  99. 
Kefr  Ghuweirah.     Its  more  modern  name  is  'Awertah.    In 


166      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

Joshua  xxiv.  30  the  place  is  called  "  Timnath-serah,"  and  in 
Judges  iio  9  it  is  given  as  "  Timnath-heres."  In  later  times 
it  became  known  by  the  name  of  "Kefr  Heres."  The  pres- 
ent littlo  village,  which  marks  the  site  of  the  ancient  city, 
lies  but  a  few  miles  south  of  Nabulus  on  the  range  of  hills 
which  skirt  the  plain  of  Mukhna  toward  the  west.  Jews  and 
Samaritans  alike  unite  in  identifying  this  as  the  place  where 
Joshua  and  Caleb  were  buried,  and  there  are  Jewish  tradi- 
tions to  the  effect  that  the  sepulchre  of  Joshua  was  once 
adorned  with  an  image  of  the  sun  in  memory  of  the  miiacle 
at  Ajalon,  and  to  indicate  that  it  was  the  tomb  of  the  man 
who  had  caused  the  sun  to  stand  still.  The  Septuagint  and 
also  the  Arabic  Version  of  Saadias  add  to  Josh.  xxiv.  30  the 
statement  that  in  the  sepulchre  of  Joshua  were  deposited  the 
flint  knives  with  which  the  children  of  Israel  were  circum- 
cized  at  Gilgal.     See  Note  53,  and  77. 

Note  75,  Page  99. 

TarjVa  of  the  tribe  ofAfrhn.  This  leader,  who  is  said  to 
have  waged  war  with  the  king  of  Ammon,  is  probably  to  be 
identified  with  Jephthah  the  Gileadite  who  conducted  the 
war  against  the  children  of  Ammon,  though  their  names  are 
not  at  all  similar  and  the  former  is  said  to  have  been  of  the 
tribe  of  Ephraim,  while  the  latter  was  a  Gileadite. 

Note  76,  Page  101. 

He  died  and  was  buried  in  that  place.  "  The  tomb  of 
Phinehas,  a  place  of  great  resort  to  both  Jews  and  Samarit- 
ans, is  shown  at  ' Awertah,  four  miles  S.  E.  of  Nablus.  It 
stands  in  the  centre  of  the  village,  inclosed  within  a  little 
area  or  compound,  which  is  overshadowed  by  the  thickly- 
trellised  foliage  of  an  ancient  vine.  A  small  mosque  joins 
the  wall  of  the  compound.  Outside  the  village,  on  the  next 
hill,  is  a  larger  inclosure,  containing  the  tomb  of  Eleazar,  and 
a  cave  ascribed  to  Elijah,  overshadowed  by  two  venerable 
terebinth  trees,  surrounded  by  arcades,  and  forming  a  retired 
and  truly  charming  spot.  The  local  tradition  asserts  that 
'Awertah  and  its  neighborhood  are  the  i  Hill  of  Phinehas'." 
(Smith's  Bib.  Diet.  vol.  iii.  p.  2513).    See  note  74. 

Note  77,  Page  101. 

'  Uzi,  the  last  of  the  vicegerents  of  the  Lord.  According  to 
1  Chron.  vi.  5,  6,  51  ;  Ezr.  vii.  4,  Uzzi  was  the  son  of  Bukki 
the  son  of  Abishua  the  son  of  Phinehas  the  son  of  Eleazar, 
the  son  of  Aaron,  thus  making  him  the  sixth  high-priest  from 
Aaron.  The  Samaritans,  on  the  other  hand,  make  him  the 
seventh  high-priest,  their  list  having  the  name  Sisi  inserted 
as  the  son  of  Abishua  and  father  of  Bukki  (Chron.  of  Abu'l 
Fath). 

Note  78,  Page  102. 

The  books  of  Bila'am.  Various  Rabbinic  traditions  make 
mention  of  the  writings  of  Balaam.    One  is  to  the  effect  that 


NOTES.  167 

the  account  of  him  in  the  hook  of  Numbers  was  written  by 
himself,  and  that  Moses  extracted  it  from  his  writings  and 
inserted  it  bodily  in  the  Pentateuch.  Another  alleges  that 
the  "  wise  men  from  the  east"  of  Matt.  ii.  were  disciples  of 
his  school,  and  had  acquired  their  knowledge  of  the  star  of 
the  Messiah  from  a  study  of  his  books. 

Note  79,  Page  103. 

El-Miat,  i.  e.,  "the  one  hundred,"  and  el-Miatai  means 
11  the  two  hundred." 

Fer'ata,  i.  e.,  "  branching  out."  This  is  the  ancient  city 
Pirathon,  mentioned  in  Judg.  xii.  15  as  the  burial-place  of 
Abdon  the  son  of  Hillel,  and  situate  "  in  the  land  of  Ephraim, 
in  the  mount  of  the  Amalebites. "  The  present  village  stands 
upon  an  eminence  or  "  Tell,"  six  miles  S.  S.  W.  of  Nabulus, 
and  about  a  mile  and  a  half  off  the  road  leading  from  the 
latter  place  to  Yafa  by  way  of  Hableh  (Bob.  Researches,  vol. 
iii.  p.  134). 

Note  80,  Page  104. 

The  year  361 This  number  is  undoubtedly  an 

error,  and  it  should  be  261  to  agree  with  the  statements  made 
in  Chapters  XXXVIII  and  XXXIX. 

Note  81,  Page  105. 

Then  he  turned  to  look  again,  and  could  find  neither  cave 
nor  sign  nor  writing.  The  tradition  concerning  the  hiding 
of  the  sacred  vessels  of  the  temple  is  a  common  one  to  Jews, 
Samaritans  and  Mohammedans,  though  each  connect  the  cir- 
cumstance with  a  different  person  and  time.  The  subject  is 
an  interesting  one,  and  it  may  be  well  to  here  give  some  of 
these  stories  of  this  event,  in  order  that  it  may  be  seen 
wherein  they  agree  and  wherein  they  differ.  The  Jews  have 
several  different  versions  of  the  story,  the  one  found  in  2 
Mace.  11,  is  the  most  authentic,  and  there  we  read  that,  ''It 

is  also  found  in  the  records,  that  Jeremy  the  prophet 

being  warned  of  God,  commanded  the  tabernacle  and  the  ark 
to  go  with  him,  as  he  went  forLli  into  the  mountain,  where 
Moses  climbed  up,  and  saw  the  heritage  of  God.  And  when 
Jeremy  came  thither,  he  found  an  hollow  cave,  wherein  he 
laid  the  tabernacle,  and  the  ark,  and  the  alter  of  incense,  and 
so  stopped  the  door.  And  some  of  those  that  followed  him 
came  to  mark  the  way,  but  they  could  not  find  it.  Which 
when  Jeremy  perceived,  he  blamed  them,  saying,  'As  for 
that  place,  it  shall  be  unknown  until  the  time  that  God  gather 
His  people  again  together,  and  receive  them  unto  mercy. 
Then  shall  the  Lord  show  them  these  things,  and  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  shall  appear,  and  the  cloud  also,  as  it  was  showed 
unto  Moses,  and  as   when  Solomon  desired  that   the  place 

might  be  honorably  sanctified '"     Another  version  of 

the  same  story  is  contained  in  tin1  work  entitled  De  Vitis 
Prophetarum,  falsely  attributed  to  S.  Epiphanius,  this  runs 


168      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

that,  "  Before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  he  ( Jeremiah) 
hid  the  ark  of  the  covenant  in  a  rock,  which  opened  for  the 
purpose,  and  closed  upon  it.  Then  said  he  to  the  princes  of 
the  people  and  to  the  elders  :  '  The  Lord  has  gone  up  from 
Sinai,  but  He  will  come  again  with  His  sacred  power.  And 
this  shall  be  the  token  of  His  coming, — all  nations  shall  bow 
before  the  Wood.'  Then  the  prophet  continued:  'None  of 
the  priests  and  prophets  shall  open  the  ark,  except  Moses, 
the  elect  of  God;  and  Aaron  shall  alone  unfold  the  tables  it 
contained.  At  the  Resurrection,  the  ark  shall  arise  out  of 
the  rock  first  of  all,  and  it  shall  be  placed  upon  Mount  Zion. 
Then  all  the  saints  will  go  there  and  await  the  Lord,  and 
they  will  put  the  enemy  to  flight  who  seeks  their  destruction.' 
Having  said  these  words,  he  traced  with  his  finger  the  name 
of  God  upon  the  rock,  and  the  name  remained  graven  there 
as  if  cut  with  iron.  Then  a  cloud  descended  upon  the  rock 
and  hid  it,  and  no  man  has  seen  it  since.  It  is  in  the  desert, 
amongst  the  mountains,  where  are  the  tombs  of  Moses  and 
Aaron.  At  night  a  cloud  of  fire  shines  above  the  spot." 
(S.  Baring-Gould's  Legends  of  the  Patri.  and  Proph.  p.  437-) 
A  very  different  version  of  this  tradition,  found  in  the  Apoc- 
alypse of  Baruch,  introduces  an  angel  as  the  chief  actor,  in- 
stead of  Jeremiah.  Shortly  before  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem, it  goes  on,  this  heavenly  being  descended  to  Jerusalem, 
alighting  on  the  Temple,  to  save  it.  Having  prepared  the 
Tabernacle,  the  Ephod  of  the  High  Priest,  the  Ark,  the  Two 
Tables  of  Stone  from  Sinai,  the  Golden  Robes  of  the  High 
Priest,  the  Altar  of  Incense,  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  and 
the  holy  vessels,  for  removal,  he  carried  them  to  a  secret 
place,  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  "  O  earth,  earth,  earth  ! 
hear  the  word  of  the  mighty  Lord,  and  receive  what  I  commit 
to  thee,  and  keep  it  to  the  end  of  the  times,  to  restore  it 
again  when  thou  art  commanded,  that  the  stranger  get  not 
possession  of  these  things.  For  the  time  will  come  when 
Jerusalem  shall  arise  again,  to  endure  forever!"  Then  the 
earth  opened  her  mouth,  and  swallowed  up  all.  (Geikie's  Life 
of  Christ,  vol.  i.  p.  385).  The  Samaritan  tradition  as  here 
given  is,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  the  only  one  current  among 
them.  A  late  traveler  in  Palestine  gives  an  account  of  an 
interesting  interview  at  Nabulus  with  the  present  High  Priest 
of  the  Samaritans,  Jacob  by  name.  Among  other  things  the 
High  Priest  touched  upon  this  very  tradition,  and  recited  it 
substantially  as  we  find  it  in  the  Chronicle.  He  said,  "  The 
first  and  only  real  temple  was  built  on  Mount  Gerizim,  and 
Uzziah  (Uzzi)  while  once  officiating  in  it,  suddenly  found 
himself  in  darkness  and  in  a  cave.  Then  God  had  him  take 
up  the  ark,  with  the  two  tables  of  the  law,  and  put  them  in 
this  cavern ;  then  the  golden  candlestick,  the  table  of  shew- 
bread,  the  altar,  the  laver  and  all  the  temple  vessels.  "When 
he  went  out,  the  cavern's  door  was  closed  and  a  Hebrew  in- 
scription appeared  above  it.  Again  Uzziah  (Uzzi)  looked,  and 
the  inscription  was  gone,  and  so  was  the  temple  and  every 
vestige  of  its  existence.     No  one  now  knows  where  are  the 


NOTES.  169 

avern  and  all  these  things.  Some  time  or  other  God  will 
reveal  them  all  again,  when  the  prophet  like  unto,  but  not 
greater  than,  Moses,  shall  appear,  from  either  the  tribe  of 
Joseph  or  of  Levi,  the  two  tribes  represented  by  High  Priest 
Jacob's  followers;  but  from  which  tribe,  their  interpreters 
were  not  agreed"  (Shepard,  Christian  Thought,  Fourth  Series, 
1886,  p.  378).  Josephus  has  fallen  into  an  egregious  error — 
if  the  text  as  we  now  have  it  is  correct — when  he  says  (Antiq. 
xviii.  4,  1)  that  the  Samaritans  hold  to  the  belief  that,  Moses 
hid  the  sacred  vessels  In  Mount  Gerizim.  The  Mohammedan 
version  of  this  tradition  is  to  be  found  in  el-Mas'udi's  Muruj 
ez-Zahab,  we  read  here  that,  "  The  head  and  administrator  of 
the  affairs  of  the  children  of  Israel,  after  Yush'a,  was  K&leb 
Ben  Yufenna,  and  after  him  Finehas  Ben  el-'Ozir  Ben  Harun 
(Aaron)  Ben  'Amran,  who  was  twenty  years  the  judge  of  the 
Israelites.  He  put  the  books  of  Moses  into  a  copper  vessel, 
shut  its  opening  with  lead,  and  took  it  to  the  rock  of  the 
temple  of  Jerusalem.  This  was  before  the  temple  was  built. 
The  rock  split,  and  in  the  cavity  so  formed  another  projecting 
rock  presented  itself.  When  Finehas  had  placed  the  vessel 
upon  this  rock,  the  cavity  closed,  and  was  as  before  "  (Spren- 
ger's  translation,  p.  100). 

Note  82,  Page  107. 
The  Gate  of  Paradise.  Juynboll,  in  his  notes,  takes  this  as 
referring  to  the  whole  Land  of  Palestine,  but  I  am  inclined 
to  believe  it  is  applied  specifically  to  Mount  Gerizim ;  for  in 
one  of  the  letters  written  by  the  Samaritans  of  Nabulus  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  17th  century,  to  their  supposed  brethren  in 
England,  we  find  the  following:  "In  the  name  of  the  Lord 
God,  the  Great  King,  the  God  of  Israel,  who  sent  Moses 
according  to  the  great  Book,  and  through  him  set  apart  to 
himself  his  people  Israel,  and  revealed  the  holy  Mt.  Gerizim, 
the  house  of  God,  the  mount  of  heritage  and  of  the  divine 
presence  ;  the  great  place  which  God  hath  chosen,  whose 
name  is  the  Gate  of  Heaven,  as  it  was  said  by  our  father 
Jacob-Israel:  'This  is  none  other  but  the  house  of  God,  and 
this  is  the  gate  of  heaven' — Gen.  xxviii.  17."  The  term  "  Gate 
of  Paradise"  being  used  in  the  Chronicle  as  a  simple  equiva- 
lent for  "  Gate  of  Heaven." 

Note  83,  Page  108. 
This  erring  man  was  of  the  tribe  of  Itamar  {Ithamar) 
The  direct  genealogy  of  Eli  is  not  given  in  the  Bible,  but 
from  a  comparison  of  such  passages  as  1  Kings,  ii.  27;  IChron. 
xxiv.  3,  6;  2  Sam.  viii.  17,  it  is  proved  that  he  was  p.  descend- 
ant of  Ithamar.  On  this  subject  Josephus  says:  "  Now  Eli 
was  the  first  of  the  family  of  Ithamar,  the  other  son  of  Aaron, 
that  had  the  government,  for  the  family  of  Eleazar  officiated 
as  high  priest  at  first,  the  son  still  receiving  that  honor  from 
the  father  which  Eleazar  bequeathed  to  his  son  Phineas, 
after  whom  Abisbua  his  son  took  the  honor,  and  delivered 
it  to  his  son  whose  name  was  Bukki,  from  whom  his  son  Ozi 


170      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

received  it;  after  whom  Eli,  of  whom  we  have  been  speak- 
ing, had  the  priesthood,  and  so  he  and  his  posterity  until  the 
time  of  Solomon's  reign;  but  then  the  posterity  of  Eleazar 
reassumed  it."     (Antiq.  v.  11.  5). 

Note  84,  Page  109. 

"  I  am  one  to  whom  to  serve  a  boy  is  impossible "   The 

Samaritans  contend  that  Uzzi  was  the  lawful  high  priest,  in 
the  direct  line  of  Phinehas  and  the  seventh  from  Aaron,  to 
whom,  though  yet  a  boy  of  but  twelve  years,  Eli  ought  to  have 
given  up  the  high-priesthood,  and  because  he  did  not,  but 
usurped  the  office — being  a  Levite,  of  the  right  tribe,  but  not 
of  the  right  family— God  slew  him  and  his  sons  in  the  days 
of  Samuel.  The  Jewish  Rabbis,  on  the  other  hand,  allege 
that  the  transfer  of  the  chief-priesthood  from  the  family  of 
Eleazar  to  that  of  Ithamar  was  in  fulfilment  of  a  Divine 
judgment  upon  the  house  of  Phinehas  because  of  the  share 
he  had  in  the  sacrifice  of  Jephthah's  daughter,  for,  being  the 
high  priest  at  that  time,  he  connived  at  her  being  offered  up 
as  a  burnt  offering. 

Note  85,  Page  109. 

And  he  offered  up  offering  on  the  altar  without  salt.  Eli 
is  here  charged  with  having  willfully  violated  an  ordinance 
of  the  Mosaic  law  which  enjoined  that  salt  should  be  used 
with  every  offering,  (Lev.  ii.  13,  comp.  Ezek.  xliii.  24;  Mark 
ix.  49). 

Note  86,  Page  109. 

And  there  were  collected  to  him  a  multitude  in  Seihin 

According  to  the  account  found  in  the  Bible,  (Josh,  xviii. 
1),  Shiloh  had  been  established  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord, 
and  the  ark  of  the  covenant  deposited  there,  upon  the  first 
occupation  of  the  Land  of  Canaan  by  the  children  of  Israel 
after  their  conquest  of  it,  and  that  here  was  erected  the 
tabernacle  (or  "temple,"  1  Sam.  i.  9)  of  the  Lord.  The 
Samaritans,  however,  deny  this,  and  assert  that  Mount  Ger- 
izim  was  ever  the  only  and  true  sanctuary  of  Jehovah,  and 
in  the  temple  that  Joshua  himself  built  upon  it  were  de- 
posited the  ark  of  the  covenant  and  the  sacred  vessels  of  the 
tabernacle  of  Moses,  and  that  Shiloh  became  a  place  of 
notoriety  only  after  Eli  had,  impiously  and  rebelliously,  set 
up  there  his  rival  shrine,  and  "organized  matters  for  himself 
in  it  on  the  model  of  the  temple,"  the  true  and  sacred  temple 
which  stood  upon  the  "Blessed  Mount." 

Note  87,  Page  109. 

And  erected  in  it  one  altar.  In  the  Mosaic  law  command- 
ment was  given  that  there  should  be  two  altars  in  the  taber- 
nacle: the  Altar  of  Burnt-Offering  or  Brazen  Altar,  and  the 
Altar  of  Incense  or  Golden  Altar.  Eli  is  here  accused  of 
having  acted  in  direct  violation  of  this  law  in  setting  up  only 


NOTES.  171 

one  altar  in  his  sanctuary  at  Shiloh.  In  the  beginning  of 
this  chapter  mention  is  made  of  a  "stone  altar"  upon  which 
the  priests  were  wont  to  offer  up  sacrifices;  this  refers  to  the 
stone  altar  which  had  been  erected  on  Mount  Gerizim  (v. 
Samaritan  Pentateuch)  in  accordance  with  the  command  of 
Moses — Deut.  xxvii.  In  the  Samaritan  Pentateuch,  more- 
over, there  is  added  an  eleventh  to  the  list  of  Command- 
ments in  Ex.  xx,  wThich  specifically  commands  the  building 
of  this  altar. 

Note  88,  Page  109. 

Sdmiil  (Samuel)  of  the  tribe  of  Hariim  (Aaron),  the  Liwanite 
(Levite.)  From  what  is  here  said  it  is  seen  that  the  Samar- 
itans hold  that  Samuel  was  a  regular  priest  by  descent  from 
Aaron.  In  the  Bible  Samuel's  descent  is  involved  in  con- 
siderable obscurity.  We  read  in  1  Sam.  i.  1  that  his  father 
Elkanah  was  an  Ephrathite  or  Ephraimite,  while  in  1  Cor. 
vi.  it  is  stated  that  he  was  a  descendant  of  Korah  the  Levite, 
thus  making  him  a  Levite,  but  not  of  the  family  of  Aaron, 
as  the  Samaritan  account  does. 

Note  89,  Page  110. 

This  is  a  son  whom  I  have  received  in  fulfilment  of  a 
desire.  Juinboll  in  his  translation  renders  this  sentence 
thus:  "  Hie  Puer  est,  quern  (turpi)  libidine  (inflammatus) 
accepi,"  and  in  an  explanatory  note  adds,  "  Pater  testatur, 
eum  Filium  esse,  quern  acceperat  secundum  appetitum,  id  est, 
quern  generans,  solum  cogitasset  appetitum  libidinosum." 
In  support  of  this  rendering  he  cites  some  authorities  to 
prove  that  such  is  the  meaning  of  the  Arabic  words  employed 
by  the  author  of  the  Chronicle. 

Note  90,  Page  110. 

Beit  Jibril  (or  Jibrin),  is  the  name  of  the  modern  village 
lying  S.  W.  of  Jerusalem  on  the  way  to  Gaza.  Elaborate 
ancient  ruins  are  found  here,  and  Dr.  Robinson  has  identi- 
fied this  site  with  the  Betogabra  mentioned  by  Ptolemy  and 
the  Eleutheropolis  of  Eusebius,  (Bib.  Res.  vol.  ii.  p.  57,  etc) 
Dr.  Thomson  is  of  the  opinion  that  it  is  identical  with  the 
ancient  "  Gath  of  the  Philistines,"  the  native  city  of  Goliath 
(The  Land  and  The  Book— Southern  Palestine,  p.  214.  etc.) 

Note  91,  Page  112. 

Beit  A. .  The  text  in  the  original  is  here  defective,  and  it 
is  impossible  to  tell  what  name  was  originally  written.  In  2 
Kings  xxv.  6  it  is  stated  that  Zedekiah  the  king  was  taken 
to  Riblah,  and  there  had  his  eyes  put  out,  but  whether  the 
place  here  mentioned  has  any  connection  with  Riblah  or  not, 
we  do  not  know. 

Note  92,  Page  112. 

Regarding  the  earth's  refusing  her  crops  and  fruits  ;  for 
when   the  fruit  promised  well,  the  destroying  blight  would 


172      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

waste  it.  In  2  Kings  xvii.  an  account  is  given  of  Israel's 
being  carried  away  in  captivity  into  Assyria,  and  the  repeo- 
pling  of  Samaria  with  colonists  from  Cuthhah,  Ava,  Haiuath 
and  Sepharvaim,  and  that  the  Lord  sent  a  plague  of  lions 
among  these  new  settlers,  but  nothing  is  said  about  any  blight 
having  destroyed  the  crops  or  fruits  of  the  land.  Josephus 
says  that  they  were  smitten  with  a  plague  or  pestilence  which 
destroyed  them,  and  for  which  they  could  find  no  cure  (Antlq. 
ix.  14.  3). 

Note  93,  Page  114. 

Sanballat  the  Liwanite.  By  Abul'  Fath  he  is  called  a 
Yiinani  i.  e.  a  Grecian;  by  Josephus,  a  Cuthean  i.  e.  of  the 
stock  of  the  imported  Samaritans;  and  in  Neh.  ii.  10.  19  we 
are  told  that  he  was  a  Horonite  which  by  Gesenius  is  taken 
to  mean  an  inhabitant  of  the  Moabite  town  of  Horonaim, 
but  by  Fiirst  as  derived  from  Horon,  i.  e.  (Upper)  Beth- 
horon.  Possibly  our  author  styles  him  a  Levite  out  of  a 
simple  desire  to  attach  greater  honor  to  the  name  of  a 
revered  champion  of  the  Samaritans. 

Note  94,  Page  114. 

The  books  which  Zorobabil  has  are  a  lie  and  a  fraud,  el- 
Mas'udi  in  the  5th.  chap,  of  his  Muruj  ez-Zahab,  in  refer- 
ence to  this  subject,  remarks  as  follows  :  "el-Bokhta  Nassar 
(Nebuchadnezzar),  the  governor  of  el-'Irak,  and  the  Arabs, 
under  the  king  of  Persia,  who  was  then  residing  in  Balkh, 
the  capital  of  his  empire,  marched  against  the  Israelites;  and 
after  he  had  slain  many  of  them,  he  took  them  to  el-'Irak, 
into  captivity.  He  carried  also  the  Pentateuch  and  the 
books  of  the  prophets  and  the  histories  of  the  king  away, 
which  were  in  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  threw  them  into 

a  well The  king  of  Persia  had  married  a  woman 

of  the  Israelite  captives,  who  bore  him  a  child,  and  he  sent 
the  children  of  Israel  back  into  their  homes  after  two  years' 
captivity.  When  they  had  returned  into  their  native  country, 
reigned  Zorobabil  Ben  Salsal.  The  town  of  Jerusalem  was 
rebuilt,  and  what  had  been  destroyed  was  re-established. 
They  got  the  Pentateuch  out  of  the  well,  and  their  state 
became  flourishing.  This  king  devoted  forty-six  years  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  country;  and  he  ordered  them  to  keep  the 
prayers  and  other  obligations  prescribed  by  the  Law,  which 
had  been  neglected  during  the  captivity.  The  Samaritans 
believe  that  the  Pentateuch  which  was  recovered  from  the 
well,  was  not  the  same  which  Musa  had  given  to  them,  but 
that  it  is  full  of  fictions,  changes,  and  alterations.  The 
author  of  the  new  Pentateuch  which  the  Jews  have  is 
Zorobabil,  who  collected  it  from  the  accounts  of  those  who 
knew  it  by  heart,  whilst  the  genuine  Pentateuch  is  in  the 
hands  of  the  Samaritans.  This  king  reigned  forty-six  years. 
Another  version  of  this  history  says,  that  the  person  who 
married  a  Jewish  lady  was  el-Bokhta  Nassar  himself,  and 


NOTES.  178 

that  he  released  the  Jews  from  the  captivity."    (Sprenger's 
Trans,  p.  120). 

As  to  the  dispute  here  recorded  as  having  taken  place  be- 
tween the  Jews  and  Samaritans  over  the  question  whether 
Jerusalem  or  Mount  Gerizim  was  the  proper  place,  according 
to  the  Pentateuch,  where  the  temple  should  be  built;  com- 
pare the  account  by  Josephus  of  a  similar  contest,  which 
occurred  in  Egypt  before  Ptolemy  Philometor,  wherein  the 
poor  Samaritans  were  most  unfairly  treated  and  unjustly  put 
to  death  (Antlq.  xiii.  o,  4). 

Note  95,  Page  117. 

The  main  facts  of  the  story  here  told  about  Alexander — 
the  Jews  being  put  in  the  place  of  the  Samaritans — are  found 
in  Josephus'  Antiq.  xi.  8.  The  two  accounts  are  strikingly 
similar,  and  are  in  fact  only  different  versions  of  the  same 
tradition.  The  story  as  told  by  Josephus,  in  brief,  is,  that 
after  Alexander  had  defeated  Darius  in  battle  at  Isis  in 
Cilicia,  he  marched  down  into  Syria  and  took  Damascus  and 
Sidon,  and  laid  siege  to  Tyre,  and  while  here  sent  a  letter  to 
the  Jewish  high  priest.  "  To  send  him  some  auxilaries,  and 
to  supply  his  army  with  provisions;  and  that  what  presents 
he  formerly  sent  to  Darius  he  should  now  send  to  him,  and 
choose  the  friendship  of  the  Macedonians,  and  that  he  would 
never  repent  of  so  doing."  But  the  high  priest  answered  the 
messengers,  that  "  he  had  given  his  oath  to  Darius  not  to 
bear  arms  against  him;  and  he  said,  that  he  would  not  trans- 
gress it  while  Darius  was  in  the  land  of  the  living."  Upon 
hearing  this  answer  Alexander  was  very  angry,  and  threat- 
ened that  as  soon  as  he  had  taken  Tyre  he  would  make  an 
expedition  against  Jerusalem  and  punish  the  high  priest.  So 
when  after  a  protracted  siege  he  had  captured  Tyre,  he 
immediately  proceeded  on  to  the  city  of  Gaza,  and  having 
reduced  it,  then  directed  his  march  toward  Jerusalem.  Now 
Jaddua  the  high  priest,  when  he  heard  of  Alexander's  ap- 
proach, was  smitten  with  great  terror  and  fear  as  to  how  be 
should  meet  him,  knowing  that  the  king  was  displeased  at 
his  former  disobedience.  But  God  warned  him  in  a  dream, 
that  "  he  should  take  courage,  and  adorn  the  city,  and  open 
the  gates;  that  the  rest  should  appear  in  white  garments,  but 
that  he  and  the  priests  should  meet  the  king  in  the  habits 
proper  to  their  order,  without  dread  of  any  ill  consequences, 
which  the  providence  of  God  would  prevent."  Accordingly 
he  acted  upon  this  dream,  and  then  waited  for  the  coming  of 
the  king.  And  when  he  understood  that  he  was  not  far  from 
the  city,  he  went  out  in  procession,  with  the  priests  and  the 
multitude  of  the  citizens.  Now  the  followers  of  Alexander, 
counting  on  his  anger,  thought  they  would  have  liberty  to 
plunder  the  city,  and  torment  the  high  priest  to  death,  but 
the  very  reverse  of  this  happened;  for  Alexander,  when  he 
saw  the  multitude  at  a  distance,  in  white  garments,  while 
the  priests  stood  clothed  with  fine  linen  and  the  high  priest 
in  purple  and  scarlet,  with  his  mitre  on  his  head,  having  the 


174      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA, 

golden  plate  whereon  the  name  of  God  was  engraved,  he 
approached  by  himself,  and  adored  that  name,  and  first 
saluted  the  high  priest.  The  Jews  also  did  altogether,  with 
one  voice,  salute  Alexander,  and  encompass  him  about  : 
whereupon  the  kings  of  Syria  and  the  rest  were  surprised  at 
what  Alexander  had  done,  and  supposed  him  disordered  in 
his  mind.  However,  Parmenio  alone  went  up  to  him,  and  . 
asked  him,  "  How  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  all  others 
adored  him,  he  should  adore  the  high  priest  of  the  Jews  ?  " 
To  whom  he  replied,  "  I  did  not  adore  him,  but  that  God 
who  hath  honored  him  with  his  high  priesthood;  for  I  saw 
this  very  person  in  a  dream,  in  this  very  habit,  when  I  was 
at  Dios  in  Macedonia,  who,  when  I  was  considering  with 
myself  how  I  might  obtain  the  dominion  of  Asia,  exhorted  > 
me  to  make  no  delay,  but  boldly  to  pass  over  the  sea  thither, 
for  that  he  would  conduct  my  army,  and  would  give  me  the  '• 
dominion  over  the  Persians;  whence  it  is,  that  having  seen 
no  other  in  that  habit,  and  now  seeing  this  person  in  it,  and 
remembering  that  vision,  and  the  exhortation  which  I  had 
in  my  dream,  I  believe  that  I  bring  this  army  under  the 
divine  conduct,  and  shall  therewith  conquer  Darius,  and 
destroy  the  power  of  the  Persians,  and  that  all  things  will 
succeed  according  to  what  is  in  my  own  mind."  And  when 
be  had  said  this  to  Parmenio,  and  had  given  the  high  priest 
his  right  hand,  the  priests  ran  along  by  him,  and  he  came 
into  the  city;  and  when  he  went  up  into  the  temple  he 
offered  sacrifice  to  God,  according  to  the  high  priest's  direc- 
tions ;  and  magnificently  treated  the  high  priest  and  the 
priests,  and  granted  all  the  wishes  of  the  people. 

Note  96,  Page  117. 

The  legend  concerning  Alexander's  visit  to  the  region  of 
darkness  is  a  well  known  one  among  the  people  of  the  East, 
and  with  various  embellishments  it  is  recounted  by  most  of 
the  Mohammedan  commentators,  by  whom  Alexander  is 
called  BhuH  Qarnayn  i.  e.  lord  of  two  horns,  or  the  two- 
horned,  which  title  has  taxed  to  the  uttermost  the  ingenuity 
of  Moslem  writers  to  explain,  the  most  current  explanation 
being,  that  this  title  was  given  him  because  of  his  having 
traversed  and  ruled  the  two  horns  or  hemispheres  of  the 
world.  Merrick  in  his  translation  of  the  Hyat  ul-Kulub  gives 
a  succinct  presentation  of  the  Mohammedan  version  of  this 
tradition,  a  part  of  which  we  will  here  quote  :  Alexander, 
they  say,  "  travelled  to  the  West  till  he  found  the  place 
where  the  sun  sets  in  a  muddy  or  warm  spring.  He  then 
traversed  the  East  till  he  discovered  the  place  where  the  sun  \ 
rises,  and  found  a  people  scorched  by  its  beams.  He  then  ■ 
proceeded  to  the  region  of  darkness.  Being  in  favor  with  the 
Most  High,  an  angel,  named  Rafaeel,  was  sent  to  converse 
with  him.  Dhu'l  Qarnayn  asked  him  how  the  service  of 
heaven  compared  with  that  of  earth.  The  angel  replied  that 
the  latter  was  nothing,  for  in  heaven  every  space  was  covered, 
and  angels  standing  never  sat  down,  those  bowed  in  rukiV 


NOTES.  175 

forever  remained  so,  and  those  in  prostration  never  arose. 
At  this  Dhu'l  Qarnayn  wept  and  desired  to  remain  and  servo 
God  on  earth.  The  angel  then  told  him  that  God  had  a 
fountain  on  earth,  called  the  fountain  of  life,  of  which  who- 
ever drank  would  not  die,  till  he  besought  it  of  the  Most 
High.  The  angel  knew  not  where  the  spring  was,  but  had 
heard  in  heaven  that  God  had  created  a  region  of  darkness 
which  jinn  or  man  had  never  explored.  A  dumb  child  at 
length  told  the  king  where  that  realm  of  darkness  lay.  (In 
the  Kisas  el-anbiyd  it  is  stated,  that  a  certain  wise  man,  who 
had  read  about  it  in  the  "  testament  of  Adam  "  informed 
him  where  this  region  of  darkness  was),  and  he  assembled  a 
multitude  of  wise  men  to  accompany  him  in  the  exploration. 
Af Ler  travelling  westward  twelve  years,  they  arrived  on  the 
frontiers  of  darkness,  which,  however,  did  not  resemble  the 
darkness  of  night,  but  of  smoke.  Having  encamped  his  army 
there,  he  summoned  his  wise  men  aid  told  them  he  wished 
to  explore  that  darkness.  They  expostulated,  but  he  was 
resolved;  and  being  informed  by  them  that  fillies  were  the 
clearest-sighted  animals  at  night,  he  collected  six  thousand 
and  mount  on  them  as  many  men,  of  whom  el-Khidhr  com- 
manded a  division  of  two  thousand,  that  formed  the  advance 
guard,  while  Dhu'l  Qarnayn  followed  with  the  other  four 
thousand,  having  ordered  his  army  to  wait  twelve  years  for 
his  return.  Dhu'l  Qarnayn  advanced  forty  marches  into  the 
region  of  darkness,  and  came  to  a  place  where  wrere  three 
hundred  and  sixty  springs.  Here  the  king  sent  as  many  men 
as  there  were  springs,  of  whom  el-Khidhr  was  one,  to  wash, 
each  one,  a  dry  salt  fish  in  a  separate  spring  and  return.  The 
fish  of  el-Khidhr,  on  being  immersed  in  the  fountain  to  which 
he  repaired,  was  restored  to  life  and  escaped  from  his  hand, 
and  to  recover  it  he  threw  himself  into  the  spring,  but  the 
fish  was  not  to  be  taken  again.  However,  he  drank  of  the 
water,  which  was  the  very  fountain  of  life,  and  in  conse- 
quence will  not  die  till  Israfeel  sounds  the  last  trumpet. 
Next  the  king  came  to  an  immense  palace  where  was  light, 
but  not  of  the  sun  or  moon.  Here  a  being  in  human  form, 
and  clothed  in  white  garments,  rebuked  him  for  his  insatiable 
ambitions,  gave  him  a  stone  which  the  being  told  him  would 
be  satisfied  when  he  was,  and  ordered  him  to  return.  Dhu'l 
Qarnayn,  on  rejoining  his  band,  weighed  the  stone  against 
another  of  equal  size,  and  increased  the  quantity  to  a  thou- 
sand fold,  but  the  mystic  stone  out-balanced  all.  el-Khidhr 
then  took  and  weighed  it  against  one  of  equal  size,  putting 
a  handful  of  earth  on  the  other,  and  both  were  balanced. 
The  prophet  then  told  the  king  that  he  would  be  satisfied 
when  the  earth  covered  him.  On  the  return,  they  passed  a 
place  where  a  sound  from  their  animals'  feet  arose  as  if  they 
were  passing  over  pebbles.  What  is  here,  O  king  ?  they 
inquired.  Take  of  these  things,  said  he,  and  whoever  takes 
will  be  sorry,  and  whoever  does  not  will  be  sorry.  On  emerg- 
ing from  the  region  of  darkness,  those  stones  were  found  to 
be  emeralds,  and  those  who  had  taken  some  regretted  they 


176      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

had  not  gathered  more,  and  those  who  had  taken  none,  were 
grieved  at  their  neglect." 

Note  97,  Page  118. 

A  legend  similar  to  the  one  here  connected  with  Alexander 
is  related,  by  the  Mohammedan  writers,  of  Nimrod.  Their 
story  runs,  that  Nimrod  (whom  they  will  have  was  the  son 
of  Canaan),  being  actuated  by  a  desire  to  see  the  God  of 
Abraham  in  heaven,  built  an  immense  tower,  by  which  he 
might  ascend  to  heaven,  but  finding  that  this  was  ineffectual 
he  hit  upon  another  plan:  he  took  four  young  eagles  of  a 
monstrous  species,  and  fed  them  on  meat  until  they  had 
grown  up  and  became  fully  matured,  then  "  he  took  his  seat 
in  a  chest  (or  ark),  and  along  With  him  a  young  man-servant, 
and  he  carried  his  bow  and  arrows — now  he  had  made  in 
this  chest  a  door  in  the  top  and  a  door  in  the  bottom — and 
he  fastened  to  the  chest  the  eagles  by  their  legs,  and  hung 
meat  upon  a  pole  above  the  chest;  thereupon  he  set  the 
eagles  free,  and  they  stretched  and  flew  up  in  an  eager  desire 
to  get  the  meat  until  they  ascended  far  into  the  air."  And 
when  Nimrod  desired  to  come  down  "  he  commanded  his 
young  man  to  lower  the  pole  and  let  the  meat  hang  down 
below.  And  he  did  so,  and  the  eagles  flew  downward  with 
the  chest."  (Kisas  el-anbiyd). 

Note  98,  Page  118. 

Then  he  proceeded  to  invest  his  companions  with  the  author- 
ity over  the  territories This  statement  is  in  harmony 

with  1  Mace.  i.  6,  where  it  is  said,  that  at  the  close  of  Alex- 
ander's life  "  he  called  his  servants,  such  as  were  honorable, 
and  had  been  brought  up  with  him  from  his  youth,  and 
parted  his  kingdom  among  them,  while  he  was  yet  alive." 

Note  99,  Page  120. 

The  Talmud  contains  a  story  about  Alexander  which  is 
closely  allied  to  the  story  here  told.  It  is  there  narrated  that 
when  Alexander  entered  Jerusalem,  he  was  conducted  through 
the  Temple  by  Simon  the  High  Priest.  On  entering,  he 
said,  "  Blessed  be  the  Lord  of  this  house."  He  was  charmed 
with  the  beauty  of  the  structure,  and  expressed  a  desire  to 
have  a  statue  of  himself  erected  as  a  remembrance,  between 
the  porch  and  the  altar.  Simon  informed  him  that  it  was 
not  allowable  to  erect  any  statue  or  image  within  the  Temple 
walls,  but  promised  that,  as  a  remembrance,  the  males  born 
among  his  people  that  year  should  be  called  Alexander.  And 
Alexander  was  well-disposed  towards  the  High  Priest,  and 
through  his  intercessions  granted  the  Jews  religious  freedom 
and  release  from  all  tributary  burden  during  the  Sabbatic 
year.     (Polano's  Selections  from  the  Talmud,  p.  210). 

Note  100,  Page  120. 
And  when  he  had  built  a  city  in  el-Hdjar.    Arabia  Petraea 


NOTES.  177 

is  here  meant,  and  the  city  referred  to  is  the  ancient  Sela  or 
Selah,  which  in  later  times  was  known  to  the  Greeks  as  Petra, 
and  in  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Hadrian  received  the  name 
II<i<lriana,  in  acknowledgment  of  what-  he  did  for  it.  The 
word  in  the  original  (band)  here  translated  "built,"  does  not 
necessarily  mean  that  he  founded  or  all  anew  rebuilt  the  city, 
but  is  rather  to  be  taken  here  in  the  sense  that,  he  strength- 
ened, enlarged  and  improved  the  city  already  existing  there. 

Note  101,  Page  120. 

Ydsiif.  According  to  the  Samaritan  book  el-Tholidoth,  or 
"The  (book  of)  Generations,"  the  ancient  name  of  this  place 
was  Yusepheh,  and  Neubauer  identifies  it  with  "Yussab,"  a 
place  mentioned  in  the  Talmud,  but  which  has  as  yet  never 
been  correctly  located  (Journal  Asiatique  for  1809).  Conder, 
on  the  other  hand,  identifies  it  with  the  modern  village  of 
Yasfif  in  southern  Samaria  (Palestine  Exploration  Fund, 
Quarterly  Statement,  1877,  p.  29 ;  Survey  of  Western  Pales- 
tine, Memoirs,  vol.  2,  p.  287). 

Note  102,  Page  123. 

And  Adrinus  set  up  in  the  city  an  image In  all 

probability  this  is  the  same  statue  to  which  Jerome  refers 
when  in  his  Comm.  in  Matt.  xxi.  15,  he  says  "de  Hadriani 
equestri  statua,  quae  in  ipso  Sancto  Sanctorum  loco  usque  in 
praesentem  diem  stetit." 

Note  103,  Page  124. 

Saqarus.  We  learn  from  the  History  of  Dion  Cassius  that 
the  name  of  Hadrian's  father  was  iElius  Hadrianus  Afer,  a 
cousin  of  Trajan.  How  to  explain  the  use  of  the  name 
Saqarus,  therefore,  is  a  most  difficult  matter. 

Note  104,  Page  126. 

And  he  died  in  woe  and  every  kind  of  affliction.  It  is 
recorded  in  history  that  Hadrian  died  of  a  terrible  incurable 
disease,  and  it  is  stated  as  a  fact  that  not  long  before  his 
death,  the  disorder  so  preyed  upon  him  that  he  sunk  into  a 
state  of  melancholy,  and  attempted  to  commit  suicide. 

Note  105,  Page  127. 

The  wall  of  Sebustieh.  Juynboll  in  one  of  his  notes  inter- 
prets this  to  mean  the  wall  toward  Sebustieh,  i.  e.,  the  western 
wall  of  Nabulus.  There  is  no  good  reason,  however,  why  it 
should  not  be  taken  in  its  simple  sense  as  referring  to  the 
wall  that  surrounded  Sebustieh,  especially  as  we  find,  di- 
rectly below,  particular  mention  made  of  the  gate  of  Nabulus. 
Josephus  (Antiq.  xv.  8,  5)  gives  an  account  of  a  great  wall 
that  Herod  built  around  Samaria,  and  also  states  that  he  gave 
it  the  name  Sebaste,  which  latter  has  become  corrupted  in 
the  Arabic  to  Sebustieh,  its  modern  name. 
12 


178      THE  SAMARITAN  BOOK  OF  JOSHUA. 

Note  106,  Page  128. 

Rabbis  (or  Ribbis).  This  word,  according  to  Juynboll,  is  in 
use  among  the  Samaritans  as  an  honorary  title,  and  signifies 
"  Virum  principeiu."  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  it  is  only 
a  corruption  of  the  Arabic  ra'is  or  rayyis,  "  chief." 

Note  107,  Page  129. 

Dinars.  The  former  standard  of  gold  coin  among  the 
Arabs  was  the  "  dinar,"  which  weighed  a  "  mithqal  "  (or 
nearly  72  English  grains)  of  gold ;  the  average  value  of  the 
coin  may,  therefore,  be  reckoned  at  $2.50. 

Note  108,  Page  132. 

Beitil  (Bethel).  As  used  by  Samaritans  this  of  course 
designates  Mount  Gerizim,  which  was  their  Beth-el.  Comp. 
Note  47. 

Note  109,  Page  133. 

In  the  original  manuscript  at  this  point  the  narrative  comes 
to  an  abrupt  end,  and  we  have  no  means  of  determining  what 
is  lost,  or  to  how  late  a  date  our  author  brought  down  his 
history.  Some  scholars  have  conjectured  that  it  probably 
came  down  to  the  period  of  the  emperor  Alexander  Severus 
(222 — 235  A.  D.),  and  Juynboll  is  inclined  to  believe  that  it 
was  brought  down  even  to  the  time  of  Mohammed.  The 
Samaritans,  in  one  of  their  letters  written  to  their  supposed 
brethren  in  England  in  the  latter  part  of  the  17th  century, 
seem  to  refer  to  certain  things  as  contained  in  this  Chronicle, 
which  are  not  to  be  found  in  the  part  of  it  that  we  now 
possess,  and  therefore  must  have  been  in  the  portion  which 
is  now  missing.  In  this  letter,  referring  to  the  promised  Pro- 
phet or  Messiah  that  should  appear,  they  say:  "  Our  learned 
scholars  have  said,  that  this  Prophet  shall  arise,  and  that  all 
nations  shall  be  subject  to  him,  and  believe  in  him,  and  in 
the  holy  Law,  and  in  Mt.  Gerizim;  and  the  religion  of  Moses 
the  son  of  Amram  will  be  made  manifest;  and  that  the  first 
letter  of  the  name  of  this  prophet  who  shall  arise,  will  be  M. 
and  that  he  will  die,  and  be  buried  with  Joseph  Ben-Phora1.h 
(Gen.  xlix.  22),  and  that  the  tabernacle  will  appear  through 
him,  and  be  erected  on  Mt.  Gerizim.  These  are  the  things 
recorded  in  the  books  found  among  us,  and  in  the  book  of 
Joshua  the  son  of  Nun." 


